The Missing Emperor
by Mago V
Summary: Malcolm Pace, son of Athena, not expecting an eventful summer, has got himself into a mess. A mess only a few gods know about. And one of them is Artemis. Minor swearing. Two first person views and one third.
1. Chapter 1

**Sorry for my lack of activity, My excuse though is that trying to find a beta reader who would beta read for my stories, and so far my stories are, shall we say hard to find an audience much less a beta reader. Also I've been working on an actual novel.**

 **Anyway without further adieu , here is the first true step in my series of Carthaginian Percy Jackson fanfics.**

 **This takes place just before and during the events of** ** _The Lightning Thief_** **and several years after my previous fanfictions about Carthage.**

 **Note: chronologically this comes after my previous fanfictions I advise reading it first because its in the point of view of someone new to Carthaginian culture as apposed to my earlier fanfics which require a knowledge in it prior to reading. (Believe me starting those was a real pain for me as prior to that I also had very little to go on.**

 **I own nothing.**

My name is Nicolas Blackadder and it all started the last day of junior high. The entire ninth grade class was basically having one giant party, shooting hoops, talking about summer plans, signing yearbooks, trying to flirt, unsuccessfully I might add, its junior high gosh darn it! Watch movies on the classrooms televisions or hang around the library awkwardly because some of us had nothing better to do. I was one such person. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't awful at sports, I just didn't want to experience the humiliation of being picked last for a team again.

So instead I just awkwardly sat at a library table by myself trying not to look like a total loser. I was about to see if anyone would notice if I went over to the fire alarm and pantomime pulling it until a boy with a rolled up piece of paper sat down at my, correction the schools table.

"Do I know you"? I asked surprised having never remembered seeing this boy before.

"Really"? The boy responded wiping his blond hair out of his eyes, as he started to set the chess board up. What caught my eye wasn't the chess board but the pieces that were in a bag that he pulled out of his bag; they were carved wooden pieces,

"After three years of being in the same homeroom as each other, also the fact that I always gave the announcements you don't remember my name"? "I just hope you're not as absent minded on the battlefield of chess as you are with names." he said turning the board around so that I was in front of white.

"Oohhh, you're that Chase guy, right"? I asked remembering the guy a little, he was always helping out the teachers and acing all of the tests he took He looked like he was going to correct me but then he just shook his head and responded, "You're move."

"You didn't want to get your teachers to write little essays for you in your yearbook." I said moving knight my right out of the formation.

"I did that yesterday." he told me mirroring my move.

"Of course you did." I responded turning my attention back to the game.

A couple minutes later he had managed to take my queen but by doing so he had opened up a serious weakness, before he could patch his defenses back together his two bishops and one of his rooks were mine for the taking.

"Aughh." the boy said leaning his hand against his fist grimacing. I could almost swear I heard him mumble to himself "People are counting on me",

"Either this thirteen year old is an officer in the army or he takes chess way too seriously." I thought to myself.

We continued playing until the bell rang; I helped the boy pick up the pieces and handed them to him.

"Thanks, you know…" he started to say something but then he stopped himself "maybe we could continue this game in High School"?

"You have plans that stretch over all of summer"? I responded jokingly.

"Yeah," he said shouldering his backpack, "I go to a summer camp that usually only takes two weeks out of a summer but I signed up to help around as an advisor for the entire summer.

"How old are the kids"? I asked confused that a freshmen in high school would be able to calm down an eighth grader one year his junior.

"All around," he said starting to leave "but usually in between seven years old and seventeen. Anyway, have a good summer." he said exiting the library.

"Well, that was fun" I thought to myself. As I rose from the chair I felt my foot land against a hard object and would have slipped if not for the chair that I had been sitting on. I quickly grabbed the chair and reached down to pick the offending object up; it was a bishop, one from the kids chess set who had just left.

I was about to put it in my pocket and try to find the kid but then my thumb brushed up against a folded piece of paper taped onto it.

Now I know why curiosity killed the cat. If I had not looked at the piece of paper I could still be living an ignorant blissful life, however there's also the chance I would have been killed or eaten if I hadn't read the scrap of paper that day.

I unfolded the piece of paper and on it was a small drawing that looked like one of those ink blot tests, a white background with a black stain of ink, I happened to see a bow and arrow being held by what I assumed was an Olympian athlete, I mean who else uses bows?

And underneath the picture was a hastily written sentence with many misspelled words, honestly I was surprised I could read it, that said

 _If you observe a lethal weapon in this depiction call my psychiatrist,_

He left a number underneath but I didn't pay it any heed.

I chuckled a bit and threw the note away, who knew had a side of humor? Anyway, I walked out of the doors of the building for the last time and started to head home, having decided that he left the chess piece for me intentionally.

I live in a small suburb of Philadelphia Pennsylvania where my mother works in the schools as a biology teacher, so instead of waiting around for her to give me a ride back home I walk usually. Our school was a small one only about six hundred students on average, so I was surprised when a giant group of students ran past me all in one direction. Usually there were only smaller groups going much slower than running. I decided not to think about it too hard though, chances are they were all graduating and were just running off to somewhere to celebrate their new freedom.

I found that silly though, I mean they still have to go to school next year.

I eventually made it back home and was able to open the refrigerator before I heard a knock at the door.

This is how it always was, one moment settled down, or in the middle of something important, in retrospect I guess drinking orange juice isn't that important but whatever, and then it's either a knock on the door, or the blasted phone starts to ring.

Annoyed, I closed the door and walked to the door and opened it revealing the same guy I had played chess with.

"Sorry to bother you but did you happen to see a bishop after leaving the library"? He asked out of breath like he had ran all the way from the school to hear and back again.

"Yeah," I responded digging into my pocket and pulled out the piece. "Question though, why did that piece of paper have a boy on it, I mean aren't there easier weapons to draw"? I asked handing him the bishop.

"You saw a bow and arrow"? He asked me like he had not drawn that.

"Yeah, why was it really just an inkblot test"? I asked not feeling like I had an anger issue.

"No, it's, uh, I think you should come to the camp." he said frantically looking around.

"An anger management camp? Geez this sounds fun. No thanks." I said.

"No it's not an anger management camp; it's a camp for children of the ancient Greek gods and goddesses."

"…"

"…"

"Are you sane"? I asked, because I quite frankly thought the guy lost his marbles.

"Just follow me home, if you still don't believe me after this then I'll never speak to you again and you can continue living your life in peace." he said looking at me desperately.

"Alright," I said "I'll see this through, just don't let it be one giant waste of my time."

I left a note to my mother telling her I was going over to a friend's house and left with the boy.

"So," I started after a couple of moments of uncomfortable silence passed between us "tell me about this camp you go to."

The boy responded, "It's actually more of a training ground, since being a demigod attracts monsters we have to learn how to deal with them, there are three major weapons that we teach how to use, the most common weapon is the sword, some people, like my sister, learn how to wield a knife but that's not one of the main ones."

"Wait, you have a sister"? I stopped.

"Right not on my mortal side but on my godly side."

"Ah, I remember, you said something about Greek gods and goddesses."

"Yeah, my mother is Athena." he said turning down a street.

"OK, if I was buying this I thought that Athena was a maiden goddess, so how could she have children"?

"It's, umm, like how she herself, was born right out of the skull of Zeus."

"Oh," I said, not wanting to continue this line of conversation.

"Anyways, he continued, "the other weapons are javelins and bows, usually bows are reserved for children of Apollo, but anyone who's good at it could learn to wield one."

"Besides combat training our camp also offers crafts art and music, it's basically a giant summer school that corrects any false information that school gave us." he said guiding me into a small one story ranch style house.

"Take your shoes off and follow me." he said going down a hall.

I did as instructed and followed him to a small room that was decorated as a library shelves of books, stacks of papers and a skeleton that hung on a wall.

"False information"? I asked.

"Yeah, there's a lot of it, for instance George Washington was a son of Athena and Blackbeard a son of Ares. Anyway the reason I brought you here was to convince of this." he said taking a small broad bronze sword from behind the rack of books

"This sword is made of a special substance called celestial bronze, what do you think would happen if I swung this at that skeleton over there"?

"Ok, quick question, why do you have a skeleton."

The boy shrugged, "My dad is a got it from his friend who's a professor."

"Well, for one you would have one very angry father, and a broken skeleton." I responded.

"Actually, I would have neither of those, what I would have would be a completely fine skeleton and a father who was unaware that anything like that had taken place." to emphasize this he stepped forward and took a swing across the skeleton's rib cage. To my surprise sword passed through the skeleton without breaking a single bone.

"Now what do you think would happen if I pressed it against my hand." the boy asked.

"Hold on." I said raising my hand. I went over to the skeleton and placed my hand on it, sure enough the skeleton wasn't a hologram. I turned back to see him press the blade against his finger, sure enough the blade did not pass through him as it had the skeleton.

I stood straight not moving for a while. "What would have happened if this skeleton was from a demigod"? I asked.

"I would have broken it." the boy shrugged.

"Hold out your hand." he asked.

I hesitated; not wanting to open my finger had that effect on me. Curiosity eventually overcame me and I gave in extending my hand. Thankfully instead of trying to open my hand he just rested the flat of the blade on my open palm.

"Well," the boy smiled taking the blade away from my hand "I don't know if this warrants congratulations but you're definitely not mortal."

"Yeah." I responded.

"Anyway, I really think you should come with me to the camp." he said motioning for me to follow him out of the room.

I thought about it some more, I wasn't doing anything this summer, or any summer for that matter, and decided why not, this should prove interesting if nothing else.

"Should I get packed at least"? I asked him.

"Yeah," he said entering a smaller room, I presumed it was his bedroom, and grabbed a small duffel bag with the words Malcolm Pace written on it.

"Pace"

"Your last name is Pace, not Chase."

"Oh, yeah I'm Malcolm Pace; of course you would have known that if you paid more attention in class. You shouldn't worry too much though, all of us demigods have ADHD, and it helps us with our battle reflexes." Malcolm said looking at me almost sympathetically with his bag in hand.

I nodded thinking about my condition, it was minor though, nothing too serious but I was glad that Malcolm had indicated that he too shared it.

"Go home and pack a bag of about a week's worth of clothing and then come back here, my father is taking a personal day and is taking me to camp halfblood, I'm sure there's enough room for you too." Malcolm said showing me the way out.

When I arrived home I told my mother who had just returned from the school about Malcolm's offer of attending a summer camp.

Surprisingly, she agreed to let me go, whether she knew something more about this whole demigod thing or she was just happy for me to actually express an interest in socializing I don't know.

An hour latter I was standing in the pace family driveway with a medium suitcase filled to the brim with clothes and a wallet with about eighty dollars and her business card.

"Are you ready"? Malcolm asked followed by a light haired man in his mid forties who I assumed to be his father.

"You're Nicolas Blackadder correct? The man asked.

"Yes." I answered.

"I'm Gregory Pace, attorney at law."

"Sir." I said greeting him.

Mr. Pace took my suitcase and packed it in the back of the car soon enough I was in the back seat of a car of some sort, traveling north to New York and a camp that I have never heard of before.

"Son, don't the satyrs usually do the finding of new half bloods"? Mr. Pace said looking over to his son.

"Usually, but most of them are trying to find Pan, the god of the wild," Malcolm said for my sake, "and the others are all in more populated areas, that and Grover and Chiron are personally overseeing some Jackson fellow."

"Not saying that this wasn't a pleasant surprise." Mr. pace said looking back at me.

"Thanks, I guess." I replied. The rest of the two hour car ride Malcolm reminded me about the old Greek myths, I wasn't by any means a bad student but I just bolted the names out of my memory but kept the principles behind the myths in mind, Never in a million years would I have dreamt that the names would be this important.

Finally we came to a to a strawberry field were Mr. Pace let us out and handed us our bags, after Malcolm said his farewells he started to lead me to a large central building.

The camp didn't seem like much, a bunch of cabins forming a U around a small fire where there was a girl in … the … fire?

I shook my head and continued to follow Malcolm, there was a small lake where there was a camper canoeing in the middle of the lake who was flirting, with what seemed to be the lake, or his reflection I guess.

"Naiads." Malcolm said not missing a beat, "They practically flirt with anyone."

I opened my mouth to respond when I was interrupted.

"Is that him? It has to be him. Doesn't it"?

The interrupter was a small girl with curly blond hair and an orange tee-shirt that said _Camp Half Blood._

"Jeez Annabeth, at least let the poor guy talk to Chiron before you bombard him with questions like you do every newcomer." Malcolm turned to face the girl.

"Just because you're older doesn't mean…"

"Yes, yes, I know, you're the head counselor and what you say goes, but he hasn't even seen the orientation film yet."

The girl turned and looked at me, squinting her eyes, "fine but in the meantime I want to talk to you."

"Alright, fine, Nicolas just enter the building that way and ask for Chiron tell him you're a new camper. Also tell him I'll be there as soon as my sister is done with me.

I nodded heading over to the building. The first glance at the inside of the building didn't seem anyplace out of the ordinary, just a guy in a wheel chair, a middle aged man wheeling a purple suit, and a teenager were sitting around a table.

"whose idea was this? And what were they thinking." The middle aged man said looking at the others.

"Don't be too harsh on the young satyr;" said the man in the wheelchair, "Louis just suggested a game that three people can play since we're missing our fourth that means no bridge."

"Go fish is a game three people can play, and yet our young satyr suggested that we play three way war instead, tell me, why not just pick the… Chiron, it appears we have a guest." The man said noticing me in the middle of his rant.

"Oh, come on over." The man in a wheelchair said turning towards me. "Who brought you here, was it Greg"?

"What? No sir, A boy named Malcolm Pace brought me here, well his father did anyway."

"Oh, well, allow me to introduce myself, my name is Chiron, I am the activities director here at camp half blood, this Dionysius, and this over here," he said pointing to Louis, "is Louis the satyr."

"Like in Greek mythology"? I asked.

"Has Malcolm not told you about yourself"? Chiron asked arching an eyebrow.

"No," I said "I just wanted to make sure he wasn't kidding about this all."

"So another camper, yeah," the other man said, I swear if he sounded even a bit less interested it would be like attending a very very slow baseball game, not that I found any sport particularly fun.

Malcolm has already shown you around"? Chiron asked.

"Uh, yeah," I responded he said he'd be along in a minute after he finished talking with a girl." I said remembering the small blond girl who had basically assaulted me with questions.

"That would be Annabeth," he responded "I'll have to talk to her about that; she tends to irritate newcomers ever since...never mind."

"Sorry that took so long." the door opened revealing Malcolm "Lord Dionysus, Chiron." he said greeting both of the adults in the room.

Chiron turned around to greet Malcolm while Dionysus just grunted a response. After Chiron and Malcolm exchanged some words involving some student called Percy Jackson, Chiron turned to me and said.

"I'm sure you can give him an official tour Malcolm."

"Yes sir. Come on Nick, I'll show you around." Malcolm said leading me out of the big house and into the heart of the camp.


	2. Chapter Two

**I'm still looking for a beta so don't expect this to be perfect.**

 **I own nothing**

Malcolm led me out the big house and towards the smaller cabins, each one decorated differently.

"These are the Cabins," Malcolm said walking over to a small cabin that looked overcrowded, "you'll be staying at Hermes's cabin until we can determine your godly parent." he said ushering me inside. "Luke, you got a new camper!" he said shouting in the cabin.

"Unclaimed"? Came a voice from an older camper wearing an orange camp half blood t-shirt.

"Yep." Malcolm said.

"Ugh, anyway," he said turning to me, "put your bag down in an open spot." he said scanning the cabin, "there by the corner." he said.

I sat my duffel bag down in the corner and turned to Malcolm who was staying on the outside of the cabin, he must have noticed my gaze because he just said, "Camp Rules." and continued standing there.

After I got my things set up Malcolm led me to the training arena, and then the pegasus stables, all of the winged horses seemed to whiny and back away from me when we entered the building.

"Don't worry about them," Malcolm said looking at me with a confused expression on his face, "they're always pretty nervous around newcomers."

I sensed he wasn't telling me the entire truth but I didn't press the matter any further.

Next he led me to the canoe lake, I wasn't entirely sure why their was a canoe lake in a camp for the training of Greek demigods but I shrugged it off, after training the campers deserve some relaxation, right.

Last was the dining pavilion, which was appropriate because by the time we got there all of the other campers had begun to arrive for dinner. Malcolm led me over to where a bunch of other campers were seated at, I recognized most of them from the cabin I had been assigned and was about to ask Malcolm why all of the campers were assigned a single cabin when I noticed he was already at another table with people I had no idea who they were.

"And that answers that question." I mumbled to myself.

A couple of the campers told me that when I got my food I was supposed to scrape a portion into the fire at the middle of the pavilion to offer the gods.

I found this no weirder than anything else that happened this summer, so I scraped half of the barbecue into the fire.

When I got back the same campers stared at me, "you didn't need to empty half of your tray." they told me wide eyed.

"Maybe he's just grateful for his parents." Luke said sitting down at the head of the table with a diplomatic smile on his face.

"No, I'm just really not that hungry." I said honestly.

That night after a giant campfire with songs, stories and being introduced to the rest of the camp all of the campers departed to their own cabins, I followed Luke to the Hermes cabin.

Luke looked back to me and asked how I was holding up.

I told him that I honestly wasn't feeling to off, I always have had a quick mind and adapting to any given situation didn't phase me much.

Luke chuckled, "Don't worry, tomorrow youll freak out." he said allowing me to catch up with him "Malcolm will probably end up being your teacher while you're here, tomorrow you'll spend a lot of time with him learning about the basics but you'll also start your training with me."

"Training"? I asked.

"Swords, blades and spears." he said "And all around pointy things. Then we'll see if you're mind is also quick in battle situations." he said as we reached the cabin door.

I fell asleep almost as soon as I laid down. But what that meant for me was a longer and more confusing dream sequence.

My dream started off with a vision of a young boy with a bronze sword, hiding behind a hill looking at a group of people, two older boys and a younger girl of about sixteen. They all seemed to look related, all of them had black hair and had a mediterranean look to them.

The boy turned around and was staring straight into the eyes of a red dragon nestled inside of a cave.

My dream shifted, and this time I was being chased by a weasel through a meadow.

Stop laughing.

This weasel was at least as big as a car and it was fast, and it also didn't when I looked down I realized I had no legs, I actually had no arms either, or fingers and toes, I was a snake. Now normally I would have laughed, hard, but instead I woke up in cold sweat.

I shuddered to be honest, sure I realized it was a dream but I had been reading too many books about the medieval times and had most recently heard about the Ichneumon, a mythical beast that would rush inside of a dragon, though the nostril and borrow itself out killing the dragon.

I was about to go back to sleep when I noticed someone else was awake.

It was luke, I noticed him grabbing a small book and leaving the cabin. I got up and crept to the door, waited a it and opened the door to see what he was doing. After determining that the coast was clear I gently closed the door and started to follow Luke around the corner of the cabin.

Soon after finding a tree to find to hide behind I settled down and observed waiting a while the air in front of him started to shimmer, It was almost as if the air was becoming liquid Then the air changed and it was like if someone had been projecting an image on clear air.

The image that came into view was of a face, one of the faces I had seen in my dream, not the weasel one but the one before it. The face was different, it had aged and the person had lost his right eye, but I knew the face was the same one I had seen in the dream.

"How did it go"? the man asked.

"Good." Luke responded. "I need to find a suitable transporter though, without one our plan is kind of doomed to fail before it gets off of the ground."

The man nodded, "Wait, one will come, I'm sure of it. Im also sorry for the lack of contact by the way, Even with my position working around Gisco is no easy task."

"Shouldn't he be to busy with his legal practice." Luke asked in a surprised voice.

The man sighed, "Just when I thought it would be safe to start he opened a new office a little too close for comfort, he likes to make sure that none of his underlings have mucked anything up."

"I should get going." Luke said, "even with being a son of the thief god there is only so long you can be away without the harpies noticing you." he said chuckling.

"Good luck." the man said.

I didn't stick around to hear the rest, I quickly returned to my cot and pretended to be asleep when Luke entered.

 **Sorry for the shortness of this chapter.**


	3. A strange visit

**I own nothing. Sorry for the delay I still haven't found a beta reader so it takes long.**

The next day started usual enough, at least as usual as it can in a Greek mythological camp. Luke was right though; I was starting to freak out.

I wasn't raised in a religious household so my view of how there wasn't one central deity wasn't changed, but after being taught for eight or so years that what the Greeks believed back in the old days was fake, and my family's background in modern medicine, adapting to a world full of magic myth and mayhem wasn't very comforting.

After a breakfast where I just followed the motions, avoiding any sort of thought, the first, class I guess, was a mythology season with Malcolm. This consisted mainly with him telling me facts that I already had prior knowledge of but instead of being told that this was what the ancient Greeks believed because they didn't have the scientifically devices or knowledge I heard it in the present sense and that what the Greeks back then believed really was the truth.

"Don't worry." Malcolm said, no doubt my disbelief was written all over my face. "All of us have at one point felt the same. "It would probably be best if we moved onto historical inaccuracies, they're not as mind numbing."

The historical part of my learning dealt with old Greek treaties and laws and the such, however, it also dealt with historical figures who were also demigods, such as Washington and Leonardo da Vinci.

After a bit more of Greek summer school, it was time for lunch, where I met up with the Hermes cabin once again.

"After this you'll get your first lesson in combat." Luke said appearing from behind me, "get there early so I can help you choose a weapon that suites you."

Again, I wasn't feeling too hungry so I pushed most of the food into the fire, I guess as an offering to the gods.

As soon as I was finished eating I followed Luke's advice and headed over to the arena and was greeted by Luke holding a short bronze broadsword.

"Try this out on that training dummy." Luke said handing me the sword pointing towards what looked like a scarecrow, "tell me how it feels."

I took the sword into my hands and was immediately surprised about how heavy it was. Sure it was short but the sword was straining my arm. "Do you have anything lighter than this"? I asked.

Luke looked at me disappointingly, "that's one of the lightest we have, I could find you a dagger or a dirk for now, but you should probably get used to using a sword."

"Whys that"? I asked handing the sword back to him.

Luke grabbed the sword and spun it around in his hand, "While a dagger can be used well by a skilled soldier a sword offers more protection, more length and more force. I actually think we have something that is a bit lighter, excuse me." Luke said turning around motioning for me to follow.

"It's not Greek but it will have to do, we have a Roman gladius that should be light enough for you, you'll definitely have to train a little bit differently from everyone else though." Luke said shifting through a rack of weapons.

"Try this out." Luke said handing me the hilt "you'll want to stab the dummy with this type of weapon."

I took the sword, thankfully Luke was right about the weight, but the handling felt off, anyways Luke seemed pleased enough with the results.

"It should do for now."

After we had all paired up with a sparring partner I quickly realized that I was awful at this. I kept having to submit to a twelve-year-old girl.

So, let's see how I score on the camp achievement list.

One, I can barely lift a sword and even if I could I could be easily disarmed by an elementary schooler.

Two, archery, I mean, I hit the target.

Javelins, again I hit the target, not necessarily anything impressive though.

Foot racing, let's not go there.

Music, I'm never in tune.

Crafts, I guess I'm not that bad.

Canoeing, I actually feel calm, I found something I don't stink at.

Riding Pegasi, they all hate me, all of them.

Malcolm was happy though, he thought I had the making of a child of Athena.

I had to remind him that my mother was a school teacher, that put a damper on things.

I don't remember much from that day but the morning after, I won't be forgetting that anytime soon.

I remember that morning, breakfast was the same but Malcolm latter that day was acting strangely during my tutoring session, he kept stopping in mid-sentence as his gaze drifted off.

"What's going on"? I asked during one such incident. "You keep stopping." I said looking up from the Odyssey.

"Am I really that clear"? Malcolm asked looking up.

"You could say that."

"Its... not…, I don't know, Chiron and Argus found an unconscious boy just outside the big house last night." Malcolm said sighing.

"Apparently he was being chased by a minotaur, he seemed to have defeated it but the satyr we assigned to him told Chiron that his mother had vanished."

"Vanished"? I asked confused.

"Yeah, she was with them but mortals can't get passed the camps barrier, it protects us from mortals discovering us."

"So she was killed? I thought that there was some sort of special thing that prevented mortals from being harmed by all of this."

"Not really, that just applies to celestial bronze, monsters can kill whoever they want."

"That's comforting."

"It's just like in the Odyssey, Odysseus was a mortal and yet he was affected." Malcolm said reopening the book.

"Wasn't Odysseus de…"

"Unimportant." Malcolm said cutting me off.

The rest of the day breezed on by, the only interesting things I remember happening that day were a bunch of Ares campers drenched in water, and Dionysus introducing the new camper, Percy Jackson, and that he would be staying in the Hermes cabin until he was claimed.

I hadn't noticed that the weather outside of the camp had been getting worse and worse, storms all of the time, the rest of the campers seemed to get nervous whenever there was a large display of lightning, Zeus I guess.

Chiron also seemed stressed by this, so I decided to ask why everyone seemed anxious. Ill I got was that Zeus must be upset at something or someone.

Besides the weather nothing seemed to change much, the pegasi still hated me, the Hermes cabin was still crowded, and the canoe lake still gave me a sense of serenity.

A few days after that we were all scheduled to play a game of capture the flag, I was told that the Hermes cabin would be with the Apollo and Athena cabin with the little girl, Annabeth, as the captain.

I looked at Malcolm, he just shrugged. "She's been here longer than anyone else."

I was given a short Greek broadsword, I had developed enough strength to drop the gladius, and a helmet and was told to,

"Just stay back and don't get hurt."

By both Luke and Malcolm, and I did just that, I didn't even need to stay back as most of the Ares cabin went straight to the Percy guy, I thought about intervening but decided to just watch the flag instead. I mean it seemed he had everything under control.

I was still guarding the flag when I heard a commotion coming from Percy's direction but stayed at my post for a while more until a hushed silence fell over the field. When I finally arrived where everyone else was I noticed they were all kneeling staring at a trident over his head.

I wish I could say something else but really the only thing I thought than was that it would be nice with one less person in the Hermes cabin.

Two days later the kid was issued and left on a quest, I was kind of sad to see him go but quickly refocused on my own training.

Luke by then had started to train me in wielding dirks, lighter and smaller than swords allowing for increased mobility and less strain with more length than a typical dagger. Luke had paired me up randomly so as to help me adapt to new styles of fighting interchangeably.

I had also by then noticed Luke's strange behavior, he had been less himself lately. He wasn't the helpful veteran anymore, he started secluding himself and kept blanking out during training sessions.

A couple days later I decided to ask Malcolm if he knew any reason that Luke would stop socializing. It was during one of my lessons so I couldn't really tell if he was also worried about him, or if he just annoyed that I interrupted his lecture about Edward Teach's successful career as a pirate.

"I don't know," Malcolm said shrugging, "but it may have something to do with two things." he said "Luke has always had a soft spot for Annabeth, he, her and a girl named Thalia Grace, were all alone in the outside world. Annabeth had run away from home and was the two others, Luke and Thalia sort of adopted her, until a satyr brought them here. It could be that he just is worrying about her or that it reminds him about his quest."

"Luke's"? I asked.

"Yeah, but that's a story for another time, right now we need to continue with the Teach lecture."

After that lovely conversation ended and I was scheduled to attend the javelin range with the Ares campers and Chiron. I was kind of surprised to see him there but I decided that he was just there to take his mind off of the situation at hand.

After the drill and Chiron had left all of us were about to head down to the dining pavilion when a scream cut through the air.

I scanned around until I noticed a camper grabbing his ankle.

"What was that about"? A fellow camper asked him.

"I was bitten by a snake." the camper said pointing out a large dark brown snake with black bands, and a rattle.

"Get Chiron." I said immediately to a nearby camper recognizing the snakes pattern. "Out of all the snakes in New York and you have to get bitten by one of the only ones that's poisonous."

"Lay down and try not to move your leg, the poison will only spread faster." I told the camper remembering my wildlife training and basic medical knowledge.

By the time the other camper had brought Chiron back I had already washed the wound. "Chiron," I said relieved, "he was bitten by a Timber Rattlesnake, I cleaned the wound but the poison is still in we need a hospital."

"Nonsense." he replied, as he took out a first aid kit "I've healed worse I'm just glad you were able to take control of the situation." he said applying a type of paste to the wound, "You have the makings of a great child of Apollo."

"If I wasn't such a bad shot." I said.

"Yes, I suppose that does confuse things a bit." he said frowning. "I've got things under control here, you should all go to lunch, I'll be there as soon as I'm done here."

That lunch would have to wait, as soon as I turned around to leave with the rest of the campers Chiron called me back.

"Nicolas, come with me, there's someone here who wants to talk with you." Chiron brought the camper to the big house and turned to me.

"Stay in the meeting room, I'll go get our guest, try not to offend her." he said looking back with a dangerous look in his eye.

A few minutes of waiting latter Chiron reentered the building followed by an auburn haired woman, dressed in a silver dress.

The newcomer came in and scanned her surroundings, her gaze eventually settled on me, "So you're Nicolas Blackadder"? She said almost disappointingly.

"Yes." I replied.

The women scanned me once more and returned her gaze towards Chiron "Your suspicions were correct, he is indeed not Greek, or at least, not as such. I believe he is one of my brother's sons son.

I was to stunned to say anything, I had just begun starting to accept this and now I was told that I wasn't part of this?

"I thought you said he wasn't Greek though"? Chiron asked.

"My brother, that is Apollo," the women who I guess was Artemis said looking towards me "had a son with a Phoenician deity, Asclepius isn't just a Greek deity, his Punic name is Eshmun, What I'm trying to say is, that you have a Carthaginian half-blood." Artemis said looking straight into my eyes.


	4. Two quests in less then a week

**Sorry about the lack uploading but I'm back now I own nothing**

The good news, I was now not unclaimed, the bad news was that I would still have to reside in the Hermes cabin, however at that moment we had other things to worry about, mainly the war brewing between the ocean and the sky. Oh yes, and that both Chiron and Artemis were eying me suspiciously, neither of them seemed willing to break the silence until I turned for the door excusing myself.

"Master Blackadder," Artemis's stern voice brought me back to face the duo, "you have stumbled on, or rather _are_ one of the gods greatest secrets, never before have a group of deities brought as much death and destruction as yours."

"What are you talking about"? I asked dumbfounded.

"There were once countless of your type, sons and daughters of Tanit, in the old ages but just as Olympus has moved so has Mount Zaphon and with it the Carthaginian seat of power. While Olympus moved from Greece to Rome to England, Mount Zaphon moved to Bithynia, in Asia minor, along with Hannibal when he fled from the Romans, than the Persian Sassanid empire, the Netherlands, and France."

Artemis continued to eye me suspiciously throughout her lecture, "Just like the Olympian gods the Punic gods continued to sire children even away from their homelands, quite a ew of them made a not so good impression on the rest of us demigods, namely, Vlad the Impaler, Ivan the Terrible, Peter of Castile, however the two that made the rest of the gods act were Benito Mussolini and Napoleon Bonaparte." Artemis said shifting her gaze towards Chiron, who had lowered his head at the goddesses last words.

"First of all," Artemis said continuing, "Napoleon was a son of Astrate, the Carthaginian goddess of love and war, after witnessing so many previous ruthless Carthaginians the gods decided that one man who was able to turn the entire continent of Europe into a bloodbath was too much and decided to seal the Carthaginian gods into a separate plane to prevent another war of the Napoleonic wars caliber. Of course the Carthaginian gods didn't go down without a fight, that's what mortals called the Great War. After years of negotiation the two sides, the Central powers, those refusing to let gods seal the Carthaginian gods away, and the Allies, those who didn't want a repeat of the Napoleonic Wars, reached a compromise."

Artemis continued, a fiery look in her eyes, "They decided that in order to keep both sides happy they would only seal away three of the Carthaginian gods, Astarte, the goddess of war, for obvious reasons, Ba'al Hammon, the chief god of Carthage, and Melqart," Artemis said closing her eyes. "Ever since the end of the Punic Wars the worship of Melqart has changed, instead of being solely a god of the underworld and trade he became associated with revenge. A group of his followers, some that formed The Black Hand, were angry at this idea and assassinated one of the main Central Powers negotiators, Franz Ferdinand of Austria." Artemis stopped and took a breath. "After the Great War all of the Carthaginian gods were sealed but three including my nephew.

"Long story short though, you need to leave." Artemis said picking up a small package that had been lying on the table.

"Woah there, let's not make any rash decisions," Chiron said with a panicked expression on his face. "If he is still a halfblood we can't just release him to the world now that he knows who he is. He'll be hunted down and killed by any monster in the area. Couldn't we at least put him in the Apollo or Hermes Cabin, he is after all, a legacy of Apollo.

Artemis then put the package back down and responded "I realize his position is a difficult one, however if word of this reaches other gods, mainly Zeus, and Hades, anyone caught protecting these half bloods would better be off dead."

The two continued to hold their ground, neither of them saying anything until Artemis finally wavered and spoke up.

"My hunters know of a few places where he'll be safe, I would bring him myself but none of my hunters would appreciate guiding a boy, and especially not to _them_."

Chiron closed his eyes and nodded his head, "I won't ask you to take him, just tell me where to find the Celts and I'll give our young Phoenician here an escort." The old man said putting a hand on my right shoulder.

"The Appalachian Mountains," the goddess said with a shaky voice "I remember it clearly, I was careless, I didn't order a forward scout and we mistakenly made camp in one of their groves."

"Druids"? Chiron asked.

An almost playful look appeared on the goddess's face, "eye, some of the hunters almost got a taste of their own magic." "anyway the least I can do for him is provide you with blade more suited for you than your current one." she said picking up the package and held it out to me. "Apollo's son has quite a few of these, I'm sure he won't miss one." she said encouraging me to open it.

Inside of the package laid a short curved sword,

"It's a falcata a sword used by the Iberian tribes and Carthage." I picked up the blade and immediately noticed that it felt, better, not good particularly, but better then all of the other swords I had held before.

Upon closer examination I noticed the hilt was unlike any other, it looked like a jay hook but with a brand of metal coming down from the other side.

"What's this for"? I asked the goddess.

"It keeps the blade in your hands in the midst of combat," she said quickly turning to Chiron

"Do you have anyone who would be able to guide him"?

Chiron scratched at his scraggly beard, "Well I suppose Malcolm has taken a liking to the boy, and if I can get one more…"

"No," Artemis interrupted, "only send the one and don't tell anyone else about this, If anyone asks about this just make something up." Artemis said making her way to leave.

But what should I tell Malcolm"? Chiron called after her.

The goddess turned around and smiled, "Tell him that a goddess ordered him to do this."

And with that she left, leaving me alone with Chiron, and the snores of our snake bitten patient.


	5. The State's Attorney

**I don't own anything**

"Well this is exciting." Malcolm said sarcastically.

He was seated next to me on a public bus staring out the window watching as urban New York flew, or more precisely inched along, I guess I thought the same thing but was too busy thinking about all that the goddess had told me yesterday.

Malcolm on the other hand still had no clue what was going on as Chiron had only told him that my grandmother was ill and required someone to look after her.

Or something like that.

However as soon as we got off of the bus in downtown Manhattan we encountered another problem, namely how to get to cottage that as in the Appalachian Mountains that really didn't exist.

"We could hike." Malcolm thought aloud.

"Our destination is in Maryland it will take forever to get there." I responded looking around, "Train stop, we should have enough money for three one way rides." I said taking off in the depots direction.

When we entered the train station I gave Malcolm the money for the tickets and left to find a map.

When I found the brochure rack there was only map left surrounded by a bunch of tourism pamphlets of zoos, amusement parks, and tourist parks, one that caught my eye was for a Circus Gramarye.

I took the last map turned around and was unexpectedly greeted by a middle eastern dressed in a purple robe dusted with white specks, and a pure purple scarf.

"Hello, your Nicholas Blackadder are you not"?

Thanks to the past week of I probably shouldn't have been surprised anymore, but still having someone whom you have no recognition of, greet you with both first and last name, no matter how strange his outfit was, was to normally creepy when put in contrast with all of the other things that had been going on in my life.

I took another look at the man, he seemed respectable, a soft smile sat naturally on his face with neatly trimmed black hair. The only thing that seemed off about him was his two eyes were dark purple, as if they were attempting to sink down into the rest of his purpleness.

"And you are"? I finally answered.

"Not important." he said waving his hand dismissing the question before I had a chance to argue.

"I was instructed to give you this." he said pulling a small amulet with a thin silver chain through a small silver coin out of one of the robes sleeve "don't lose it." he said with a dry smile.

"Oh yeah, don't worry about keeping your mission a secret anymore, my wife just informed your friend about the true purpose of this mission."

I thought about that for a bit hadn't Artemis told Chiron whoever knew about the secret would be in mortal danger.

Almost as if he sensed my next question the man responded "Don't worry about Greek, he's not fated to die because of us, he's fated to die because of his own kinds greed."

"Wait, what"? was my immediate response, but it was too late, he had already headed off in Malcolm's direction leaving me with more questions than answers.

The train ride was an awkward one to say the least having just been told that my guide was going to die put me in a rather quiet mood while Malcolm wouldn't stop badgering me about my Heritage.

"It's too bad we can't let the other campers know of this, just think about all of the cultural benefits to both sides, I mean if there's at least one of you chances are there are more right, but I guess maybe not since that goddess who was just talking to me said that I was bringing you to a Celtic settlement…"

My first thought was "when on earth did he have enough time to talk to her this long I was just getting a map." my second thought was, "this guy talks way too much." and my third was "man I really hope no one's paying attention to this guy's conversation."

I tried my best to nod and mutter at all the right times to make it seem like I was actually listening to the rambling of Malcolm.

I took out the necklace that the man had handed me and inspected closer, it was indeed a coin, on one side there was a picture of an elephant and on the other was a scroll and a couple of foreign symbols. I rubbed the coin between my forefinger and then pocketed it again.

Eventually the train stopped at our station we got our luggage, two backpacks, and made our way to the front of the station.

"Oh yeah." he said finding a bench to sit down on, "I was told by the woman at the train station that someone would pick us up here, they should be here…" he said looking at his watch "in two more hours."

In almost exactly two hours we were approached by two women each dressed in what looked to be traditional Scottish wear and had what appeared to be sweat bands wrapped around their heads.

"Are you Pace and Blackadder"? One said approaching us.

"Darn hunters." I heard Malcolm mutter under his breath.

The other one grabbed a knife that was strapped inside of her left boot and pointed it threateningly at Malcolm, "Dae ne confuse us wi' thaim."

"Muireall," the other one said with only a slight accent, "surely it was only a misunderstanding." she said pushing her friends arm down, glaring at us as if challenging us.

Muireal, I guess, sighed and then sheathed her dagger "A'richt let's juist deliver thaim tae yer boyfriend."

"Ha ha, very funny lets just get going, I don't want to make him wait." the two women started to head off without looking back.

"What do we do now"? Asked Malcolm with an unsure expression on his face.

"I guess we follow them, nothing better to do." I responded dashing off after the two women in front of us.

Our destination was not what I expected, instead of a little that I had been picturing as where we would end up our guides had brought us to a prosecutor's office.

"Um, what are we doing here." Malcolm asked nervously, no doubt recognizing where he was due to his father's occupation.

"Stay here," the one with the less of an accent told the three of us pointing to the guest waiting room "I'll go get our guide." she said before leaving in the opposite direction.

As soon a she was out of our view we headed over to the lobby and sat down, "how many guides are we going to get." I asked myself in bewilderment.

"So would you mind telling us who you are"? Malcolm asked the remaining woman and sat himself down in a reclining chair.

"Aye," the woman said taking a seat on another recliner, "We ur baith fae celtic vilages, a'm fae aroond 'ere while Bethóc bides in Chcago noo, in New Hippo Regius, a safe haven fur Carthaginians."

"And who are we here to see"? I asked eyeing a bull full of nuts on a small table in between the three of us.

"State Attorney Gisco Anderson."

"Why"? I asked.

"We haven't done anything wrong," Malcolm said nervously "my father's a defense attorney I'll have you know." he continued in an almost complete opposite tone, one minute scared for his life the next bragging of his father.

"Relax, wur nae 'ere tae see th' state attorney we're 'ere tae see th' heich priest o' Tanit." Muireal said.

"Actually, oan seicont thought, bethóc kin be 'ere tae see th' state attorney bit that's a story fur annur time." Muireal added grabbing the bowl of nuts.

We spent a couple more minutes in silence passing the nut bowl back and forth between the three of us and eventually finished them off right before Bethóc came down with a tall man dressed in a duster, a fedora, and a tan scarf.

My first thought was what was doing dressed up like that in the middle of summer the second was why was he dressed up like that if he was an attorney.

"This is him"? The man narrowed his eyes and sized Malcolm up, "doesn't look like much."

"Uh no, the other one." Bethóc responded. "Thats Nicholas Blackadder." she said shifting her eyes back and forth.

The man turned his head and asked "Eshmun"? As he raised his head half a centimeter.

"Uh," I suddenly felt like melting into the floor under his inquisitive glare "Yes, or so I've heard."

It could have been my imagination but I thought I saw a ghost of a smile appear on his face, before he turned back to Bethóc "have our young Blackadder help you with the horses, I be there shortly, I need to talk with Muireal and our Greek friend.

"He doesn't actually mean horses does he." I asked a little alarmed.

"Come with me and find out." was the woman's only response.

He did actually meen horses. Luckily for us there were enough horses for everyone to ride without sharing, or well unluckily as some of us were about to find out.

"So," Bethóc said as she was busy throwing saddles over the horses, "how long have you known"?

I assumed she was talking about the hole god for a father thing I responded truthfully as I was busy packing the saddle bags and watched her react.

"I was born knowing," Bethóc responded, "I'm from a minority group of mortals who can see through the mist, some of us get along fine in mortal life getting jobs starting a family and the like but others have had their family destroyed by either a monster attack or by the damn hunters of Artemis." she said through clenched teeth. "I'm sorry." she said looking back down towards the pile of saddles.

"Was that what happened to you." I asked stupidly.

I immediately regretted asking that question, Bethóc's eyes snapped towards me and her fists clenched.

"I'm sorry I didnt meen…"

"No it's fine," she replied exhaling. yeah that's pretty much what happened. My mother joined them along with my older sister later."

"That makes sen… wait no it doesn't. The hunters of Artemis is a maiden only _club_ " I said searching for the right word.

"My adopted mother, my real mother died in an accident or so I've heard, and my real father got sick so that my older sister had to take care of the family, she didn't want to though and left me to care for our slowly dying father.

"I was only six then, and then to add insult to injury my adopted mother ran away with the hunters on her wedding night, so excuse me if I have a negative opinion of them."

We continued to work in silence, with an air of dread hanging over us I don't know what came over her but from what I had absorbed the calm Bethóc started getting emotional.

"What Muireal said about us has no factual support,"

"Uh I said not knowing where this conversation was going."

"The only reason she would think there was something going on between us is because after his best friends sister was killed and he himself has gone missing I'm the only one he actually …" She stopped herself mid sentence and cleared her throat. "I have no idea why I just started spilling out my life story to you."

"Neither do I." I rest of the work was completed in silence.

 **Were you able to find all of the references to Ace Attorney, the amazing thing is I only attended for there to be one, maybe I'll tell you them in the next chapter.**

 **Also I would appreciate it if anyone would be able to come up with a good excuse for why I haven't mentioned Blackadders mother for a while or any other suggestions really.**

 **I don't want to bring up any painful memories of the past election but, please review.**

 **Also I apologize if I offended any Scottish readers with my attempt at trying to get your accent right, just take some comfort in knowing I spent almost as much time researching Scottish translation as I did with Punic Mythology, and the Punic language. Also if anyone would like to help me on the pronunciation of Scottish words I would be more then happy to have their help as it would be less likely to insult someone with an actual knowledge as opposed to internet translators.**


	6. Gisco Anderson

**I own nothing**

"So why exactly are we riding horses"? I asked urging my horse to go faster to keep up with the lead.

We had been traveling over plains for almost an hour, the view of the city was completely gone as Gisco's horse was practically galloping across the fields.

"I don't like drawing monster's attention to mortals," Gisco called back "the last time there was a giant group of demigods driving a car… well let's just say things could've gone better."

I was going to push the issue further, thinking back to what Bethóc had said earlier but was interrupted by Muriel when she called out to Gisco, "I thought it was because you don't have a license."

"Hmph, I don't want to be asked to many questions." Gisco seemed eager to avoid this line of questioning.

"What"? I muttered under my breath.

"He's technically not a US citizen," Bethóc said riding up next to me, "He's Cuban, but has been living in Chicago since New Carthage was destroyed."

"That's in Spain." I said confused.

"The new New Carthage." she responded.

I decided not to ask and to instead return my full attention on trying not to fall off of my horse. I suppose it would have been a pleasant journey if my horse would stop bucking every other minute.

"He's nae used tae be carrying a saddle." Muriel said calling out to me, riding next to Malcolm.

"Am I the only one who got a pack animal." I called back.

Bethóc just stifled a laugh while Gisco called over his left shoulder "He's not a pack horse, his last rider preferred riding bareback, have to say, it does have its advantages. "he said letting go of the horses reins to draw a short bow slung across his back.

"What is it," Malcolm asked nervously, his hand migrating towards his short Greek sword strapped to his belt.

"Pygmies," gisco said pointing towards a group of men who were apparently riding goats, if they weren't wielding spears, bows, slings and daggers like professionals I might have mistook them for part of a comedy retain.

"Not very dangerous but clever no doubt, keep one eye on them and the other on your belongings." Gisco said guiding his horse off to a side to prevent confronting them.

"If their not looking to cause trouble between us then why are they all armed." I asked skeptical.

"Their going to war with the Sandhill Cranes." Gisco said quietly

"Wait, what"?

"Don't ask, long story that basically boils down to Hera cursing a queen…"Bethóc started,

"That tends to happen a lot." Malcolm said interrupting.

We managed to pass them by without any incident, and continued our trek west.

A couple hours and two sore bottoms latter we started to approach a town, it was well into the evening and I realized that the last time I ate was a hurried breakfast given to us by Chiron.

"We can rest for the night before we head out again tomorrow." Gisco said turning his horse around to face the rest of us. "I have an acquaintance who won't mind giving us a place for the night."

"Right, your private investigator buddy lives around here doesn't he, Erik van Assendelft, son of Nikkal, right"? Bethóc asked.

"Correct, though he won't be home, he's on an assignment from me."

"The house is big enough but there's only one bed," Gisco said unlocking the door, I'll bring some mattresses up the rest of you can find couches or chairs to sleep on." He added leaving us in the house's foyer.

Well it certainly is large enough." Malcolm said peering into the main part of it.

"He had a couple rich clients back in the Netherlands," Bethóc said absent mindedly, "Now he spends most of his energy working for Gisco."

"Bethóc, you know your way around, right,"? Gisco asked returning.

"Yes."

"Good, show them around to the study, you'll all be sleeping in there, there is a couch a recliner and two mattresses, in there, ba'al knows for what reason, anyway, make sure you're all up and ready to hit the trails tomorrow at five, I have unfinished business back in Maryland." Gisco said tossing a small keychain at Bethóc as ne brushed past us.

"You'll run your horse ragged with all of your running back and forth." Bethóc said mildly annoyed.

"I'm taking a cab." was his only response as he disappeared from view.

We stood in the foyer for a while, no one so much as peeped until Malcolm broke the silence, "has he always been so," he said struggling for the right word.

"Aye." Muriel said not waiting for him to finish.

"We should use all of the time we have for recuperating," Bethóc said , come on, I'll show you all to the study."

The inside of the house wasn't huge but it was definitely larger than your typical two story house, and was decorated better than some victorian era mansions. Above the entry hallway hung a crystal chandelier, the entrance to the dining room was marked with two oaken doors that didn't make a sound when they were opened, which I found strange because at … but I digress, anyway the dining room's walls were covered with shelves of porcelain, individual plates, saucers, serving plates, plates that were smaller than saucers, big bowls small bowls tea sets, I was a bit overwhelmed.

"Don't," Bethóc said "It will just encourage him."

"Who, didn't Gisco say the owner was out somewhere"? I asked bewildered.

"He isn't here, but he hides cameras everywhere in his home." Bethóc said.

"Why"? I asked looking over my shoulder.

"I don't know, some sort of investigator thing." she responded. "Here it is" Bethóc said as we arrived in front of a gold leafed single door. Bethóc inserted the key and pushed it open.

"Here it is, make yourselves comfortable."

The study was smaller than I had imagined it to be from the rest of the house, part of it looking small might have been by covering every single wall with bookshelves that were packed to the brim, and the couch and the recliner, and the two queen size mattress crowding the center of the room.

"Mak' yourselves at hame, Ah will gang git some fairn." Muriel said turning around to leave.

"I'll come with." I said following her, intending to get answers to some of my questions.

"So," I asked catching up with her, "Who is this Gisco anyway"?

"Muriel sighed, I guess I would to if someone I barely knew asked too many questions, "He's th' heich priest o' Tanit at a wee Carthaginian town." She said, she was quiet for a while we were walking down a hallway to the kitchen when I asked another question.

"Yeah, I got something like that, but then why does he work as an attorney." I asked realizing if I was going to get any information on this guy I was going to have to press everyone that knew him."

"I assume Bethóc awready tellt ye aboot his mukkers sister"?

"Yeah."

"No yin kens wha murdurred her, some say, lik' Mago, that 'twas th' identical rogue greek or roman wha murdurred th' lest Sophet a' they years ago, however gisco believes 'twas juist yin mair homicide, oor emperor, Mago th' Third that is, haes gaen missing keekin fur th' killer, tis consumed him pure. Anyway Gisco spends a' o' his resources keekin fur th' killer in th' mortal world, prosecuting a' o' th' cases whaur she died, maryland, 'n' sending his Dutch mukker tae gather intel."* Muriel said as we reached the refrigerator in the kitchen.

"Crowdie"? Muriel asked.

"That is a lot of cheese." I responded observing that the only contents of the fridge was a bottle of milk, a Tupperware full of chicken and more types of cheese than I could count, some of it was goat some wasn't, I guess. I was never ne for cheese.

Muriel grabbed a wheel of orange cheese and told me through some of the chicken into the microwave. I few minutes later we returned to the study with cheese and chicken in hand.

Thankfully Bethóc and Malcolm had already set out the mattresses and were in the midst of some sort of ideological debate when they noticed we had returned with food.

"Nick," Malcolm turned to me, "this guy did a job for the King of the Netherlands."

Bethóc grinned, turning around taking the food from us ad set it on a desk, "Yes, except he was only Prince of Orange at the time."

"Still impressive." I thought to myself.

Bethóc unsheathed her dagger and began to slice the wheel of cheese into slices as Muriel passed around the container of chicken.

"So where exactly are we going"? Malcolm asked reaching for a slice of cheese but retracted his hand when Bethóc pointed her dagger at the limb that was intruding to near to her knife for comfort.

"A place called New Hippone," I responded "that's all I know." I said taking a chicken wing from the container.

"It's above Chicago, kind of like how Mt. Olympus is for you." Bethóc said never taking her gaze off of the cheese she was cutting. It's a home to legacies, regular mortals who were raised in captivity by Romans, actual Demigods like Nick here, and…" she was silent for a minute "Mortals children who had the said children while… housing a deity, our guide Gisco is one of those." Bethóc said having finished slicing the cheese into thin stripes.

All of us were quiet for a moment, the knowledge settling into both Malcolm and my heads and Muriel had fallen asleep uninterested in any of our conversations.

"So who is Gisco's godly heritage"? Malcolm said interrupting the silence.

"He's a son of Tanit and Ba'al Hammon, via the female mortal, Ummashtart Anderson, and the mortal father being Abdel Fadlan. We will have more time for questions in the morning but right now I need to get some rest, hunting wild boar in the morning always tires me out."

With that happy thought I flopped down on a mattress provided and closed my eyes. 

**Even though I am writing this after Willem-Alexander** ' **s succession this novel takes place during the** _ **Lightning Thief**_ **making the king in this story purely a work of fiction, as queen Beatrix abdicated one year** _ **after**_ **the book is published.**

 **If it makes you feel any better I am Dutch and I am very proud of my heritage.**

 _ ***"No one knows who killed her, some say, like Mago, that it was the same Rogue Greek or Roman who killed the last Sophet all those years ago, however Gisco believes it was just one more homicide, our emperor, Mago the Third that is, has gone missing looking for the killer, it's consumed him really. Anyway Gisco spends all of his resources looking for the killer in the mortal world, prosecuting all of the cases where she died, Maryland, and sending his Dutch friend to gather intel.**_

 **Translation**


	7. Chapter 7 (I had no better name for a c)

**I own nothing**

"Soldiers, too me." this is always a great way to start a dream, just letting you know since this is being written down, that was sarcasm.

But yes, the dream I had started out with an unimpressive looking dude holding a knife in one hand and a disembodied teddy bear in the other shouting orders to a large group of, _Roman Soldiers._ Anyway beside him there was a another person whose persona was obscured by the armor and helmet it had on. All in all if I had to guess there were around fifty heavily armed and trained Romans down below the hill where the scrawny Roman was standing.

The dream, or vision I guess, lagged a little bit more showing me a fortress before switching and now showed the top of a mountain that overlooked a bay.

"Puny mortal, take the weight so that I may join my brothers in the field of battle when the time comes." said a deep booming voice from behind me.

I turned around, intending to find the owner of the voice but stopped halfway when I recognized who the voice was addressing.

"I think I like where you are right now." the one eyed black haired man from my previous dream and Luke's midnight chat with this man. The man had started growing a beard and the silk like hair he had seen twice before was now tangled and short, hiding part of the bandana that was covering up his right eye, "Or what was once his eye." That thought didn't go over to kindly.

Once again the man behind began to speak but I couldn't seem to move, my gaze was glued upon the person in front of me.

"Kronos will surely punish you, leaving his right hand man stuck un…"

The voice was interrupted when the man in front of me wiped out a lethal looking club and swung it at a marble column, causing it to shatter at the force of the impact.

Kronos owes me more than what he's promised me, to Melqart with it, I've saved his sorry vessel's little life more times than I can count."

"Oh come on, just because their similar doesn't mean that he will be freed when Kronos is risen." the voice sneered. "And come on, Kronos would be able to find another body easily, and you made yourself quite clear that you vanguard won't move an inch from their base, from what I can tell being spared is all the reward you should be given."

"Yes," the other man said reattaching the club to his belt "but luckily for me the one I do the negotiating with is Kronos himself and not you."

"You dare mock me boy"? Yelled the voice causing the mountain to tremble.

"You insult me," the other man responded donning a hurt expression, "I have never once done anything to earn these hostilities from you, in fact I have been the very model of a gentleman.

"Hmph, never to me," the man behind me responded. "And only because Hyperion and Krios aren't too busy holding up the sky to squish you like the worm you are."

"Indeed, I am lucky." the other man responded with a mischievous smile. He then started to leave, mock bowing at the side of my vision to I assumed the man behind me and left.

As I was finally able to turn round I saw myself looking back over the small Roman town, this time however I noticed a younger version of the man, before he needed to cover up his eye, from before. This time he was hiding behind a tree, a crossbow in his hands, looking at a two story pure white marble building.

The entrance was flanked by two roman guards and a giant purple banner with the letters SPQR that was embodied inside of a wreath.

Something the guys eyes surprised me when he set the crossbow down instead of opening fire on the citizens down below, but he leaned the crossbow up against the tree and threw on a fresh t-shirt and headed down into the town. As my dream self walked right along next to him I noticed several questioning looks shot by onlookers, most of them turned around where they were, while some just ignored him.

As he approached the large building he hesitated, his hand drifted to his pocket before he entered a small apartment like building. He waited, or I guess we waited there for what seemed like hours, finally after the sun had set we left and headed back towards the big building.

The guards were all gone but in their place was a Iron bar fence, however that didn't deter the guy as he continued towards the entrance. Just before he got to the gate he pulled out a wire and a metal stake and inserted them into the gates lock.

Eventually after a fair bit of scratching and stopping to make sure no one had heard he pushed the gate open and silently slipped inside.

And with that I woke up. Malcolm, Muriel and Bethóc had all already gotten up and had more slices of cheese out for breakfast.

"How did you sleep"? Bethóc asked, no tone in her voice indicating she actually cared about my welfare.

"Not bad." I responded.

Apparently that was the incorrect answer, because two minutes later all four of us were back on the trail.

"Shouldn't we at least for Gisco"? Malcolm asked from beside me after we had mounted our horses.

"He rode ahead, something aboot securing th' path, 'n' nae wanting tae listen tae ony mair o` yer ridiculous questions." Muriel said looking back.

"Oof."

A couple more days of riding and stopping at people who owed Gisco favor's houses we approached the suburbs of Chicago both my rear end and my mind were thankful, if I had to go one more day eating food with dust and have myself thrown about like a sack of flour, well it wouldn't be pretty.

Having met up with Gisco earlier that day he led Bethóc, Malcolm, and I through the city while Muriel finished up with the horses. After a couple of bus rides and few minutes of walking we found ourselves in front of the John Hancock building, Gisco split off from our little group for a while and came back shorter less refined version of him.

"This is Thomas Kirk, he will be showing you around while I finish up my business with my law firm."

I waited until Gisco had disappeared from view before turning to Thomas, "He has a law firm"?

Thomas must have noticed my confusion because he responded, "He's closing it down." he said ushering us inside of the tower, "as Gisco has already told you I am Thomas Kirk, I work as one of the border control guards here at New Hippone." he said leading us into an elevator. "Thankfully this elevator is disguised as a maintenance elevator so we don't have to worry about curious mortals."

During the elevator ride I was given basically the same speak I was back at Camp Halfblood except the gods names were different.

"Oh and you're going to want to look out for any disciples Astarte, they'll mock you furiously because of your father." Thomas added looking down at his clipboard as we all got out of the elevator.

"Wow" uttered Malcolm, as we both got our first view of the city or Hadasht as Thomas instructed us.

I looked down expecting to see some sort of transparent glass or metal but but the ground was grass and paved stone just like anywhere else not at all like a suspended magical kingdom. Their was one main road that led straight to a mountain and switch backed up towards an enormous temple at the peak of the mountain made out Marble and Ivory.

Closer to where we were, were apartments and houses with neighborhoods that branched off away from the main road as we continued following Thomas down the road Malcolm stopped and pointed out Eight separate houses, four on each side of the road all facing each other.

"Are these like the Cabins at Camp Half blood"? Malcolm asked.

"Kind of." Thomas responded marking soothing on his clipboard "they can be used as that and some can be used for other things, Astarte's is used as our war council while Tanit's is where Gisco lives now."

"You mentioned Astarte before does she and Eshmun have some sort of history"? I asked curious.

"You could say that," Malcolm said chuckling, if I'm right they're married, but I don't understand why there would be any bad blood between them." He added just as confused as me.

Thomas smiled looking up from his clipboard, "Your Greek friend is right, they are married but Astarte being the goddess of war _and_ love takes on a whole bunch of lovers, your father didn't exactly take this too well, he is extremely loyal but he does sire the occasional child and the sons and daughters of Astarte tend to make them remember that."

"Oh." I responded, feeling a little uncomfortable.

"Don't worry too much about it, just try not to do anything to aggravate them, or do it when there are disciples of Ba'al Hammon around, unlike some Greek gods our siblings can actually get along." Thomas said, the last part more to Malcolm than me.

"I'll be in the fletcher's building, if you need me." Bethóc said veering off from our little group.

"Mmm, don't forget we have inspection today." Thomas said looking back down at his clipboard.

"What's inspection." Malcolm asked.

Thomas looked up with a grin that stretched from one end of his face to the other, It's our way of making sure no one has died during the week we have it two times a week, once on Monday and the other on Friday, you know just so we have a hold on how many people died on the weekend as opposed to the week. Its also a time where newcomers are introduced and placed into a Cabin as a disciple." Thomas said tucking his clipboard under his arm, "come on, Ill introduce you to the head priests." he said a little too excited.

"I think your Greek friend will enjoy the first person I'll introduce you to." Thomas said practically skipping, "anyway disciples of Ba'al Hamon are almost always great military tacticians, like Hannibal and Napoleon, we only have two here at the present but our leader was also a disciple of him. Thomas said guiding us towards a cabin made of solid marble and decorated with ram's horns.

"Bastiaan"? Thomas yelled knocking on the cabin's door. No response. We waited for a bit longer until Thomas sighed,

"He's probably at the library, we can come back later at the end of our little tour."

Thomas proceeded to introduce us to the high priests who were there, the high priest of Khasis, a magician god, was Xavier Pearson, a typical resident of English ancestry who prefer the indoors to the outdoors resulting in unusually pale complexion.

The next priest was the exact opposite of Xavier, Mason Snow was a second generation Italian his Blond hair and tanned skin was a sharp contrast to magician. He seemed like a nice guy but being a disciple of Adonis, the god of youthful beauty and athleticism, he tends to get on other gods nerves, or so said Thomas.

None of the disciples of Nikkal were around but Thomas assumed that they were all out tending to the peach orchards that were just outside of the main town.

"Nikkal is some sort of harvest goddess"? Malcolm asked.

"Yeah, she's the goddess of orchards and fruit.

We made our way to Ba'al Hadad's Cabin and were greeted by the high priest, Owen Vivas, a sixteen year old kid with a Catalonian background and who was originally from the Cuban New Carthage, but fled after a rebellion of some sort some seven years ago.

Needless to say their were others that I was introduced to but I already was feeling overwhelmed and most of all the information entered one ear and aimlessly flew through my head.

" _ **Bong!"**_

I was jolted back to my senses when a bell in giant spiral tower rang out.

"Why do you have a giant lighthouse in the sky"? Malcolm asked.

"It's for keeping time, and plus it works as both a lighthouse for our dock down below in the mortal world and our sky port for cloud riders." Thomas said seeming used to the question.

"Cloud riders"? Malcolm asked skeptically.

"Ba'al Hadad and others, come on. Let's go see who survived the weekend." Thomas said taking off in the towers direction.

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	8. Severa

**I own nothing**

Inspection was not what I was expecting, imagine Woodstock, the concert, not the little yellow bird, filled with people. It was the exact opposite of that. It took place around and in the lighthouse, and everyone had gathered into one large line that spanned, yeah actually not that far.

Anyway, the line was actually moving pretty quick and Thomas was still describing everything.

"Dinner and breakfast are held in the great hall, it's a building used counsel me stings and well eating, lunch is usually on your own, but seating in the hall is usually determined by your status."

"What does that mean." Malcolm asked as we neared the entrance to the tower.

"It's basically all of the new recruits sit together, all of the officers sit together all of the politicians sit together and so on, until you get to the top, where the Royal family sits with their advisors and the head of the counsel."

"Wait, there's a royal family"? I asked as we entered the tower.

"Yep, in fact our empress is here right now. Thomas mentioning to a regal looking figure standing behind a desk from what I could tell was either made of solid gold or plated with gold leaf, I assumed it was the later.

"Thomas," the lady said with almost a Latin accent, while a younger girl with blond hair about the age of seven quickly scribbled something down in a notebook. She was wearing a chainmail vest, an iron skirt, greaves, and purple scarf around her neck with a sword that I recognized immediately as the same type of sword that Artemis had given me a few days ago. This one however was at least two and a half feet long with a hilt that shined with an intense moonlit hue.

"You brought guests or recruits this time"? She eyed him suspiciously.

"One recruit and one guest your excellency. A Greek visitor and one son of Eshmun." Thomas said pointing us out.

"Son of Eshmun, Severa." she said looking back at the girl who quickly scribbled down more. "Names"? She asked looking towards me.

"Nickolas Blackadder." I said straightening up.

"Proceed to the center." She said looking behind me "next."

As I followed Thomas out into a giant outdoor theatre that was in the shape of a half circle I asked him who the little kid was I guess a bit of disbelief was in my voice because he laughed and responded,

"That's the emperessling…" he said making a face "princess is probably the correct title. Anyway she's basically being groomed into the future leader and seems to be the least affected by her father's absence." He continued, guiding us up onto a stage before an audience.

We stood their for aw while waiting, I scanned the seats looking for anyone I met earlier but gave up due to the chaos of the amphitheater filling.

Eventually The empress and the Princess came out of the tower and sat down at front leaving an open area, I guess that was originally for the missing emperor, finally the crowd quieted down when Gisco, this time dressed in purple robes with a silver lining a necklace and a white cloth hat.

I continued looking at the necklace long after he started talking but I realized that his necklace was almost identical to the one that I had been given at the train station. I pulled it out of m pocket and noticed that the only difference that I could see was that his was that his had a symbol of a circle on top of a triangle with a crescent engulfing both, while mine had a snake.

That's the symbol; of Tanit, the goddess of Carthage." Malcolm whispered to me.

Right at that moment Thomas nudged my shoulder and said to take a step forward.

I quickly realized that I must have missed something while I was observing the necklace and stumbled forward to avoid looking foolish.

I introduce to you, Nickolas Blackadder, son of Eshmun and head of the disciples of Eshmun." Gisco said in a bored monotone.

Malcolm whistled "That was quick promoting."

Gisco, having apparently heard, chuckled. "Not really the only other disciple is a seven year old who doesn't know the first thing about medicine, he's more talented in the spreading of plaques."

"So!" a shout came out from the audience.

"Continuing on, further news of Mago the Third is limited, we assure you all that we are sparing no cost in his finding, until then I expect you to take Caecilia's words, and mine," Gisco added a little too quick, "as the emperor's own.

"Before I release you all for diner remember that we do have a Greek as a guest, so that means we will be having our traditional _geting the used to our type of combat_ capture the flag tournament with the teams being Tanit, Ba'al Hadad, Kothar and Khasis, Yam, and Astarte pitted against Ba'al Hamon, Eshmun, Mot, Yarikh, Nikkal, Athtar, Adonis, Melqart, Shalim and Shahar, and Shapish." Gisco said reading the names off of a scroll. That being said you are all dismissed."

Everyone started to get up and headed towards the dining hall, we were about to follow them when Gisco called us over.

"Malcolm Pace." Gisco said.

"Yes."

"You are a child of Athena, correct"?

"Yes sir."

"Good, you will be with Astarte."

"Right."

"Oh and Thomas."

"Yes sir."

"Oh and Thomas after dinner get them all suited up, greves, mail the works."

"Got it sir."

"Good." Gisco said with a smile that conveyed no emotion. "Dinner should be good today, if you would excuse me, I have to go teach a seven year old table manners."

"Is it just me or does it seem that Gisco has more ambition than an advisor should have." I said thinking back to his words to the rest of the people.

Thomas sighed, watching the High priest disappear from view, "Priests in Carthage were always respected, during the monarchy the only people who had much say in politics were the clergy, especially, priests of Ba'al Hammon and Tanit, it also probably has something to do with his ancestors."

"Didn't he have mortal parents who were _possessed_ by gods"? I asked remembering the conversation I had with Bethóc.

"Yeah, but it goes back farther than that," Thomas said looking around at the now empty amphitheater. "I'll tell you about it after dinner, but we should go and eat now get fueled up for the game."

Diner was good, aside from being jam-packed on one long table with the rest of the people who had no, _importance,_ I guess. The food was a type of sweet bread, with nuts, dried fruit, and cream cheese, and lamb, I looked up and noticed the only difference between the higher and lower classes were the utensils and plates served to the individuals. However halfway through my meal my eyes wandered to the head table where the Royal family was seated along with Gisco and a few other advisors, once again there was an empty seat, most likely for the emperor.

What puzzled me the most though was the setup, Severa, the princes and Gisco sat to the right of the empty chair, both Severa and Gisco were eating spiced fish while everyone else ate what the common people were eating, even the empress, except the wine goblets that were in front of the people from the fourth table on forward.

"Wine"? Malcolm asked surprised. "Isn't that a little much for a camp."

Thomas smiled, "it isn't just a camp, and don't worry no minors are given any." he said speaking up over the din of the dining hall.

"What I want to know," I said propping my elbow up on the table, "Is why two Gisco and the princess have different food than the rest of us, while the empress has the same, wouldn't she be able to get better, I mean no offence to the cook this is great, but still."

Thomas frowned and pushed his plate away, right come with me to the armory, I'll tell you on the way."

Malcolm and I left our plates on the table and got up and followed him out of the room.

Gisco isn't just a child of two of our most important gods, but he's also descended from the fourth son of Hamilcar Barca." Thomas said as soon as we were outside of the building.

Malcolm stopped, " I thought there were only three Hannibal, Hasdrubal, and Mago."

"The famous ones yes, but there was another that history forgot because he never traveled with his father to Spain."

"Do you know his name." Malcolm asked catching back up to us.

"Nope, but we do know he traveled with Hannibal when he was sent into exile, after his brother committed suicide to avoid being captured by the Romans he fled and married into the Sasanian-Parthian House of Ispahbudhan. That's why Gisco is able to practice Zoroastrianism, there are some dietary taboos that we accommodate for him." Thomas said as we arrived at a small building just outside of the Astarte cabin.

"Zoroastrianism," Malcolm said "that was the first monotheistic religion. And yet he's a child of two gods from a pagan pantheon."

Thomas shrugged, "It's all religion ask him, I just know the things." Thomas said unlocking the door and ushered us in.

The inside of the building reminded me of a toolshed, but instead of lawn mowers pitchforks and barrels full of children's toys there were suits of armor, polearms, and bows and arrows and any other type of weapon you could ask for.

"You already have a sword Malcolm"? Thomas asked already looking for around the shed.

"Good then this should do." he said turning around, his arms full of armor. "Put this on and find a shield you like.

Malcolm grunted as he accepted the armor.

Than Thomas turned to me, "You already have a falcata, right"?

"Sir Thomas."a voice called out, and Gerald Bresten, a disciple of Athtar and a messenger who sat across from me at dinner. "Lady Severa asked me to deliver this to you." he said delivering a scrap of paper to him, snapping to attention after he had finished his mission.

Thomas read the note and arched an eyebrow, "You're dismissed colonel" he said before turning back to me and letting Gerald run back to diner.

"Apparently you've caught the Royal families eye, the princess, who's leading your team as a disciple of Melqart, has ordered me to equip you as a member of the cavalry."

"Is that not common"? I asked.

"No, but then again disciples of Eshmun usually end up in some sort of high position, keep the falcata, and I'll find you a pteruges." he said before jumping back into the middle of the armory.

I turned back to Malcolm to see if he had already put on his armor, he had already put on his silver cuirass and chainmail and was than attaching greaves and had already selected a bronze shield that was leaning against the wall.

"Here's one, sorry about the weight, Thomas said handing me a metal skirt looking thing. He must have seen me staring because he responded.

"It's to protect your legs while still allowing you to ride a horse."

I shrugged and took it.

Eventually Malcolm and I were all geared up and Thomas led us back to the cabin area.

"I'll take Malcolm to the Astarte cabin while you wait here, your team should be gathering in the Ba'al Hamon cabin, I'll be back soon.

A little while later Thomas came back smiling. "Are you ready to be bossed around by a seven year old."

 **And no, I didn't get the princess's name from fire emblem, I mean, I guess, I sort of did, but I got it by looking up given names.**


	9. Phalanx

**I own nothing**

Thomas led me away from the main group of cabins and towards a group of three lone cabins all set up in a triangular pattern. They were a sharp contrast to the other cabins, instead of showing off bright colors the three over here were dark and almost gloomy in comparison.

All three of the cabins shared the same sense of elegance as the others but these three gave off a dangerous and mysterious vibe, the first cabin I looked at was made completely out of obsidian with a scale hanging over the entrance.

Thomas caught me staring and sighed, "right, I forgot to bring you to these cabins, I guess I was trying to show you the bright side of things before these."

I couldn't tell if he was joking or not.

"The cabins over here are for some of the oldest gods, we figured it safe to give the elder gods a special place away from everyone else when we hold Tanit and Ba'al Hamon in higher regards. Anyway that one is for Mot, the god of the dead." Thomas said staring at the cabin for quite some time. I thought I heard him mutter something that sounded like "I've heard about some awkward confrontations with Loki." but I asked him what he meant by that to make sure.

Thomas jumped like he hadn't realized he had said that out loud and looked away, "Well, Loki can change gender and so can Mot, depending on how he's she's feeling." Thomas added quickly. "Thus there are bound to be some… ah, never mind."

"This is Yam's," Thomas said pointing out a cabin made almost entirely out of glass, that wasn't even the weird part though, the walls were made as a type of aquarium, with all different types of sea creatures swimming around the walls.

"It must be like living in the Shed." Thomas said looking at an octopus who was scuttling into a cave away from view.

"That leaves us with Melqart's cabin." Thomas said pointing out a cabin, that really looked more like a shrine than anything else, that was constructed entirely out of pure white marble and studied with every type of imaginable gemstone and could already smell a copious amount of incense drifting out from it.

Thomas looked at me, sympathy in his eyes, don't worry after everyone gets here the incense will stop burning, the priests of Melqart just like showing off their superior wealth and prestige."

At that exact moment someone cleared their throat right behind us.

Thomas and I turned around and saw it was the the girl whom I then knew as the princess and Gisco standing by her side. The princes, Severa, was wearing the same armor as I was but with a short purple cape flowing over her right shoulder with golden threads embroidery in it.

"And they should," Thomas said covering his tracks "After all the Royal family are priests of him."

Severa glared at him as if trying to figure out if there had been any sarcasm in Thomas's remark while Gisco let a smile slip through against his better judgement.

"Thomas," Gisco said regaining his composure, "I believe you have other duties to be attending to"?

"Ah, yes sir, quite right, Ma'am." Thomas said avoiding eye contact with the princess.

"Now than," Gisco said as Thomas ran off "we'd best get going and assign infantry positions."

"Ugh." the seven year old whined, "Why can't it just be the same as the last"? She asked as Gisco led us into the cabin.

"We could do that, but the only thing the enemy in a real battle would know, or think about for that matter, would be the most effective way to defeat the last army, adding potential in games is one way to help keep your mind calm and collected in an actual battle against actual enemies." Gisco said as we reached a circular table, "That's a lesson both of you should keep in mind." Gisco added this last part directed to me as he pulled out a chair.

"Now wait just a moment," I said holding up my hands, :"why am I here, shouldn't something like this be for the experienced and capable, I mean for Pete's sake, I just got here this afternoon"?

Severa jumped on this opportunity "what do you mean you're not capable," she said turning to Gisco "have we just been…"

"Peace," Gisco interrupted holding up his right hand, "sons of Eshmun are rare, most of them end up becoming famous officers in the military, such as Michel Ney, Robert E. Lee… he seemed like he would go on forever but then Severa interrupted,

"But I thought Lee was on the Roman side, if he was Carthaginian why would he betray his own kind"?

Gisco signed, by then other people had begun to arrive and Gisco just responded, "we weren't on particularly good terms with any of them, we mainly just wanted the two sides to fight on somebody else's land, the border states were ours. Ah here is Arisha Madison, the high priest of Shapash, Lady of the Sun." Gisco pointed out a girl, probably in her teens, with a long cavalry like saber attached to her belt.

"Come take a seat. Gisco said almost over the top in politeness, almost to the point of pure mockery.

I realized it actually was mockery when the said person responded, "Not in your life." she said as she took a chair at the opposite side of the table.

"What was that all about"?

Gisco shrugged, "An old rivalry between Shapash and Tanit," Gisco said over the noise of the forming crowd, he then tilted his head, "I guess not that old but still…"

"Anyway, Severa you should get this started, all of the officers are here."

"First things first Gisco," a blond haired boy a few seats down spoke up, "we need to get the new guy here settled in as a member of Melqart's Sacred band."

"What"? I blinked.

Gisco groaned.

"All that time at your law office has gotten to your head, anyway, Jones!"

A kid who seemed to be only six responded, entering the chamber.

"Here it is." the boy said handing a folded piece of black cloth to the guy.

"Nickolas Blackadder, stand up"

I looked at Gisco for advice, he just shrugged, and told me to do it.

I stood up and walked over to the guy, and even before I got there he began speaking, "I Heindrick Slaar Nickolas Blackadder you have… yada yada yada."

Now I know what you're thinking, I zoned out and couldn't tell what he said but he actually said the words "yada yada yada" over and over until he finally finished and congratulated me and attached the cloak to my armor.

"Now that that's settled we can start the actual meeting." Heindrick said smiling at Gisco.

"Thank you," Gisco said rising "Your team will receive enough phalanx material to cover you up from the river to the forest, however as you are aware, a phalanx would operate less than stellar in the forest, now I'm not telling you what to do but you will also receive enough swords and shields to make up enough legions to cover the border securely. However, I will not be providing your side with any long range weapons or combat cavalry, besides the officers of course, that does not mean I am sending you in rangeless though, I will be supplying you with soliferrums, it is up to you to decide how to use them. I will leave the rest to you, Severa." he gave the princess a curt bow and left the cabin.

There was a moment of silence before Severa spoke up.

"Place the swordsman at the center, the enemy will have an easier time against them than a phalanx."

"I see where you're getting at," the high priestess of the Shalim cabin spoke up, "instead of trying to puncture through their center troops you want to try to flank them using higher quality infantry."

"Yes, who will then attack them from the sides allowing a unit of our officers to charge past them unchallenged and secure the flag."

"In theory it should work," a burly guy who seemed to be at least seventeen spoke up from the other side of the table spoke up "but if the other team sends in archers against our phalanx in the woods…"

"There aim would be blocked by the trees Samson," A girl who looked like she had never been outside interrupted, "I do admit however the guys right about sending a phalanx into the woods, a cavalry or a less tightly packed group of infantry charge could easily break what little formation they could hold in the woods."

Another wave of arguments flooded the room before I finally found the nerve to speak,

While public speaking had never been one of my strengths, my teachers had told me to stop stammering all the time and get on with my presentation, they also said that whether it be a scientific or literature presentation, mine had some of the most logic in them. I didn't realize that being logical… Anyway, I told them that since we had been given enough phalanx supplies to span the gap between a river and the forest we should use it to our advantage giving them the javelins to use to entice the enemy to attack our stronger troops.

Most of the other people grumbled about having a new recruit offer opinions on his first day while a few, including the princess and Arisha.

"I guess if that doesn't the work we could at least draw their fire to our troops with better shields," Severa offered.

Half of the people nodded in agreement while the other half remained silent.

"Then it's settled, we will place a phalanx, with javelins, in the center of the battlefield, and entice the enemy while a striking force, led by myself, will charge through the enemy's right flank and encircle them giving an opportunity for someone to break off and grab the flag.

While the majority of the members accepted this, either because they actually agreed with this or just to please the princess I don't know, the same girl who had questioned Samson earlier spoke up.

"You expect to be able to lead the charge? The enemy would be aware of the absence of the heir, while I agree with the rest of this plan we need someone else to lead the flanking maneuver while you and a couple other officers to remain in the enemy's sight to keep their attention off of our plan."

There was an uncomfortable silence where I thought Severa would yell and demote the girl or something but the princess just looked down and sighed.

"Your right, as usual Jessabel, I trust you can handle it."

Jessabel stood and bowed, "I am more than capable milady."

"Please don't call me that." Severa responded through gritted teeth.

"I just hope we'll have enough cavalry to keep them busy, with leaving at least half with you to keep up appearances, the amount in the strike force would number somewhere in the teens." Jessabel said looking around the room.

She was right, if we were going to deceive the enemy we would need at least twenty some of the officers to stay behind, unless.

"We don't actually need to keep any of the officers with the princess." I spoke up out of nowhere.

"What do you mean by that"? The priest of Ba'al Hamon asked with a dangerous edge to his voice.

"Um" I responded, "If we, that is the officers dismount and give their horses to some of our swordsmen that we positioned at the river the illusion of officers staying behind and giving orders will be complete, the natural terrain near the river should offer some protection without the extra soldiers there anyway."

Severa turned to me with something akin to grudging respect in her eyes, "That would solve some of our problems yes, but we would still need a few officers to give orders that actually mean something and who wear the uniform."

"Oof," I responded, I hadn't thought about that.

"But still, I would think that it could work, all in favor." She faced the rest of the table.

No one responded.

"All opposed."

Again, no response.

Severa opened her mouth to respond again but was cut off by a loud war horn blasting through the air

"Very well then, Nicholas's plan it is then. Let's go brief the troops."

 **One review yeah. I'm happy.**


	10. Battle of Bagradas River

**I own nothing, I have also started writing all of the books through Malcolm's perspective, no changing of the heroes just through different eyes, as it can be found on my profile or under Percy Jackson file**

During our thirty minute briefing period we chose who would stay behind and guard the princess,I along with two others were assigned that duty, I guess since I had no experience I was an excellent choice, the others didn't look to happy about it though, they kept mumbling and looking over at the officers who would be making the charge with envy.

After two minutes however they stopped mumbling and approached me.

"Come on, you're going to need to saddle up." One said motioning me to follow her.

Beirut Zidon, priest of Shapash," the other one said extending his hand walking up on my side.

I took his hand and shook it, he wasn't the biggest guy here by far but he still was able to make my hand hurt. I did notice something like a tatoo burned onto his forearm. The letters SPQR, three lines burned underneath and a torch crossed with a sword.

"What's that of"? I asked without thinking.

"What, oh," he saw where I was looking and hurriedly shifted his armor to cover it up. "I went to Camp Jupiter before this,but I got into an argument with one of the praetors and was kicked out, I don't like dwelling on it."

"And because of that we have a cavalry member who can't ride for his life." the girl said as we made our way to the stables.

"First things first," I said interrupting, "what is camp jupiter"?

"Youve been to camp halfblood yeah"? The girl asked.

"Yeah."

"it's basically like that but for Roman demigods."

"Roman demigods."

"Yeah, nothing really special about them," She said as we arrived at the stables "have no talent for riding so to make up for that they call it _Barbaric_ and fight all battles on foot like an unskilled mob." she said leaning against the gate.

"Oh come now Demna ,it may not be as fast and easy as you like it but it is effective nonetheless."

"See, your defending them again, the only thing they have going for them is this." she said holding up a chainmail sleeve, "and to be quite frank it isn't even Roman, they just took it off of some celts."

"That's because the Romans perfected it, they didn't need to reinvent the wheel, they just took something good and adapted it for better fit them."

"Uh, guys," I said trying to keep the argument from escalating, but they kept at it.

"You're doing it again why don't you just go back to little Roman world and pretend you're still this great empire!" Demna said fidgeting with her falcata's handle.

"look, I know you blame the Romans for your friends death, but not all Romans are killers, trust me!" Beirut shouted the last part reaching for his short sword, strapped on his belt.

"Um, guys." I said again, this time louder.

"Don't you dare mention her, you bloody Roman." Demna responded dangerously calm, her hand now tightly wrapped around the falcata's handle.

"What you really think you can pin the blame…"

"Guys!" I yelled before either of them could draw their weapons.

"What!" Demna shouted as they both turned to face me.

"My horse"? I responded suddenly aware of the fiery look in both of their eyes.

Demna sighed threw her hands into the air as her eyes calmed down, "Whatever let's get this over with. And Zidon," She said regaining a fraction of the fury back into her expression, "well settle this later." She said pushing open the wooden fence.

"We have a lot of horses to choose from Arabian, Destrier, or Barb," Beirut said pointing out the different types.

"He'll want a Barb." Denma said eyeing me, "their light, fast, and agile with enough endurance to allow for a charge." She said almost as if challenging me to argue with her.

"Follow me, all of the ownerless horses are over this direction," she said guiding me over to a large corral area, and Zidon, you go get both of our horses I'll meet you back here after I go get Nick a horse." Denma said turning around.

We approached a large fenced in enclosure that housed tons of horses of all different colours and sizes, grey, chestnut, and brown.

"Which one suits your fancy"? Denma asked turning around, boredom in her voice.

"I dont know, Ive never really ridden a horse before a couple days ago, which one would you recommend"?

The question must have startled her as she responded first in a high pitch squeak of "me" then cleared her throat and scanned the group of horses.

"I would pick that one," she responded, pointing at a healthy looking grey horse, "Come on," she said motioning me to follow her as she approached the group of horses that the one in question was standing next to.

"His name is Phoenix." she said as she took hold of a guiding rope, leading the horse to the side of the corral, "He's named after a king of Phoenicia, Phoenix, son of Agenor."

"I've heard of him, wasn't he a friend of Achilles'" I said thinking back to the time I read the Iliad, you know, for fun.

"No, that was Phoenix, son of Amyntor." She said taking a saddle, draped over the fence and slung it onto Phoenix's back. The horse I mean, not the guy, the dead guy, or the other dead guy.

Anyway, back to the topic on hand, she gave me the guiding rope and told me to follow her back to the stables.

"So, what was your life like before coming here"? I asked eager to avoid awkward conversation back with all three of us. "When did you find out about all of this"? I asked gesturing with my hands around the city

"I actually was one of the survivors from New Carthage, I was born into all of this. My parents actually both served in the army and fought to reclaim our old home."

"Ah." I responded, remembering Bethóc saying something about this earlier.

"But it was utterly destroyed, instead of trying to rebuild it, all of the survivors just packed up and moved here." She said looking down as we reached the stable where Beirut was siting on top of his horse and was guiding another, both had already been prepped, an iron skirt, or bib, or whatever you call horse armor, as well as a sort of helmet or sheet of metal that covered the horse's forehead.

"Did you also get the supplies for his horse"?Denma asked looking up.

"No, I thought you were getting it." Beirut said slipping off the side of his horses saddle.

"I was helping," Denma started to point at me, "ugh whatever, just, do something constructive while I go get the armor."

Beirut and I remained silent while we watched Denma rush off in the stables direction.

"So, how are you finding things"?

Caught up in my own thoughts at the time I responded a little too quick, "Oh, uh, yeah great, I just don't understand promoting me, even if my father happens to be the king god's most trusted adviser."

Beirut fidgeted with a golden madelian, the same kind as the one I was given and the one I observed Gisco wearing earlier at the inspection.

"I get you, not entirely but yeah, as a priest of Shapash I was also expected to become an officer, either that or an advisor to the royal family," he said as he looked at the ground sheepishly, "but, well you heard it from Denma, that a Roman was accused of killing the sister of our current emperor, so even after I proved my loyalty there were still whispers giving a Roman that high of a position. So I decided instead of being eyed suspiciously all the time by spending most of my time around the royal family, I would become a strategist, sadly as Denma pointed out before that means I have to ride a horse," he said placing a hand on the beast's muzzle, "also pore Dagger I guess, instead of a disciplined and confident rider he gets a past infantryman."

"Suit up." Denma said returning with the pieces of armor for the horse in her arms and three helmets, with my minimal knowledge of history however I was able to identify then as corinthian style, covering the entire head with slits for the mouth and eyes, and a crest of purple plumage,

"Wait, is that…"

"Its synthetic," Denma said laying the pile down on the ground.

"Oh, good." I said nervously looking at the horses, as if they knew the difference.

Beirut grabbed one and put it on covering his entire face, that's when something occurred to me.

"How are we supposed to know who's who with these on." I said picking one up.

"Where we're positioned, you'll be on the right flank Beirut, I'll be in the woods, and Nick, Denma said turning to me, "you're going to be staying with the princess."

I raised an eyebrow, unsure of where she was going with this.

"You've only been here half a day and been an officer for even less, even if the enemy recognize you you won't know the first thing about commanding, so placing you by the princes should make you seem like you know what you're doing." Denma said as se donned her helmet.

I shrugged and adjusted the helmet until it fit snugly, the helmet most have offered good protection, but it cut off my vision more than blinders surely would have.

After that Denma offered to help put on the horse's armor saying, "I'll give you a pass this once seeing as how your knew at this and were running short on time, let's just hope all of the recruit officers are all ready to go." she said as she grabbed her horses saddle's horn and jumped on, and was followed by Beirut pulling himself into his saddle.

"Um, guys a little advice for a beginner"? I asked looking up at the horse wondering how I would get on.

"Should we get you a crane"? Beirut asked mockingly.

"Gods! How gullible are you."? Denma shouted back at Beirut, as she had already began to leave and looked wide eyed "Next you'll be telling me you think ostriches actually put their heads in the sand for protection." "If you can't get up on your horse without help go use the step stool over there." She said turning her attention back to me, kicking her horse and leaving us behind.

After I had finally mounted my horse I caught up with Beirut who had left just a little after I settled myself in the saddle.

There has got to be some sort animals rights problem here." I said looking down at Phoenix.

Beirut looked surprised for a little bit and then chuckled a bit.

"what's so funny."

"The horses actually have the same say in it as we do."

"You talk to them"? I asked arching an eyebrow.

"Well I don't, the Astarte cabin does, plus with the actual goddess living just on the top of the mountain she gives them some sort of enchantment that removes them from the practice battlefield if they get injured."

"That's actually pretty neat." I responded.

"Oh and the infantry love it too, before we alway had one horse casualty equal three infantry."

"You mean the horses are hard to replace." I said thinking of no other answer.

"No, literally, when the horse fell down what do you think happened to the soldiers underneath the horse"?

"Oh."

"So the horses get to be magically teleported off of the battlefield by the war goddess, do humans get the same treatment by my father"?

"Oh no, he's far too busy helping his wife with the horses.

I felt it better not to touch that.

When we got back onto the main road I pushed up the corinthian style helmet so I could get a clear view of the battlefield. It was an open field just a half mile away from the cabin complex, with a small forest to the left, and a river flowing down from the mountain on the right carving the battlefield into almost a "B".

On the far side of the field the opposing team had already set up in their formation, a group of skirmishing cavalry in front of the main group of shock cavalry were set in a wedge formation, and a battle line of swordsmen separating the cavalry from their archers.

Our team was also starting to form, members of our phalanx came with spear shield and newly issued soliferreum, "a type of throwing spear that would pierce enemies shields," as Beirut had told me on the ride over. Our newly "promoted" "officers" also had begun to show, some on community horses and others as captains of the infantry, while the actual officers quietly slipped into the forest.

A few minutes later Severa arrived, her horse having a crest of, hopefully synthetic, purple plumage running horizontally across while Severa herself had the exact same uniform as everyone else except her purple cape and the fact that her armor looked a wee bit large.

As soon as she finished riding up and down row of hurriedly adjusting soldiers, she made guided her horse to stand next to mine as she lowered her hand to the hilt of her falcata.

"Keep an eye out on the right flank, when you see Beirut lower his helmet you'll know that everyone in his position is ready." Severa whispered keeping her own gaze locked on the left flank.

A few minutes past until a loud horn was blown and Gisco, Empress Caecilia and another rode into the center of the battlefield all wearing nor armor but white, Purple, and green robes respectively, as Gisco urged his horse away from the others one of his hands went to his head, keeping his white cloth hat from flying away while the other pulled out a scroll.

"Soldiers of Tanit and Astarte!" Gisco shouted over the commotion of the battlefield. "The date is Autumn 240 BCE, a force of rebel mercenaries, led by Spendius, had just defeated a Carthaginian force under the command of Hanno the Great, you the purple team," Gisco said turning around his horse to face us, "need to encircle the enemy formation with you vastly inferior cavalry, "While the rebels or the red team," gisco continued circling and turned to face the opposing team, "need to break the enemy's formation, whichever team acquires the proof of their accomplishment first wins, but please try not to kill anyone. With that let the war games begin." he said raising both hands and dropping them in one swift motion.

With that the three of them rode off of the field and two seconds later the air was filled with the sound of a brass horn being blown.

A few minutes later I say Beirut lower his helmet signifying that all of his troops were in position, and his _co_ -officers were ready.

In response I also lowered my helmet, and turned my face back to the battlefield to let Severa know that the right wing was set.

At this she also lowered her helmet but added a shout and as I looked back across the field I understood why.

"Phalanx raise shields!"

I barely had time to react before a shower of arrows rained down upon the spearmen, at first I was surprised that none of the arrows had been aimed for the officers as all of them ad remained untouched by the barrage, but as I looked out across the field I noticed the light skirmishing cavalry charging forward eager to use the confusion that the arrow storm created to their advantage.

"Javelins!" I shouted trying to stop the devastating results of a javelin volley at close range.

However I meant it the troops took it as a sign to through their own javelins, before I had a chance to stop them the phalanx had hurled their javelins at the horse riders. It wasn't as effective as it could have been a but it did send the horses into a panic for a couple seconds before the riders got them back under control allowing for our phalanx to ready their shields covering the volley of javelins as only three of our troops were rushed off the field by nature spirits and wheelbarrows.

I shook my head "that does not look comfortable." I thought to myself.

"It's not so bad," severa said aside me "the nature magic the spirits use helps ease the pain."

I don't know what shocked me more, that someone like Severa who was raised in this life was injured or that someone on the other team had the courage to do it.

As the light cavalry fell back to regroup the heavy cavalry charged straight at the center of the phalanx, where most of casualties, surprisingly, had been an officer next to barely had the time to yell brace before the wedge shaped formation had crashed into the phalanx sending both rider and victim flying, of course the spears the phalanx had deterred some of the horses while others that had ran straight into the formation were immediately magicked away leaving their riders falling down as they were gathered up by nature spirits before other horses stepped on them.

One horse I could almost read his thoughts a board look on his face that almost looked like he was thinking "not now, I just got to the fun part before he was magicked away by the war goddess.

I shivered, and Phoenix whinnied, that was not one horse I would want to meet horse to horse.

As the heavy cavalry fell back the swordsmen had started to advance in a slow but steady pace keeping their formation until about twenty paces away when they broke out into a charge .

"Brace yourselves!" all of the officers shouted as they began running or _galloping_ their horses were galloping, they weren't, shouting encouragements and occasionally fighting besides the other soldiers.

By then I had noticed that the Phalanx was beginning to fail, pockets of soldiers were winded and started to back up giving the enemy ground eventually both the other team's heavy and light cavalry had outflanked us charging us from the right as our phalanx broke.

A few seconds later the brass horn that sounded the start of the game blew again as one of the enemies light cavalry crossed the battle line with the purple banner in their hand and the three horsemen who had started it rode out again into the middle of the field to end it.

"And that ends the battle of Bagradas River." Gisco said raising his left hand, as the man dressed in green handed him another scroll.

Gisco unrolled the scroll and began reading "Having defeated the army under Severa the great and military tactician Nicholas Blackader the cunning," Severa arched an eyebrow at this, "The Rebel army under the command of Jezebel the Magnificent, Severa seemed angered at this but retained her composure, "and the military tactician Akbar the wise aided by the Greek mercenary Malcolm the genius, marched onto Carthage with no resistance," Gisco's face seemed to darken. "The weakened state of Carthage allowed Rome to Annex Carthage shortly after." As soon as he was done reading it he dropped the scroll to the ground where his horse stepped on it.

"But enough of all of that rubbish," Giscos face suddenly lit up, "you all showed exemplary soldiership, well, except Akbar who somehow got his sword stuck in his scabbard and spent the majority of the battle yelling for help." Gisco said glaring at the priest of Khasis.

"And two great tacticians arrived on the same day, if Malcolm had not been anticipating the flank attack planned by Blackadder this battle would have had a different outcome." Gisco said riding over to the woods where a small band of swordsmen were just emerging from.

"Well, it just seemed strange that a static line like the one presented to…" he was probably going to keep talking when Gisco jumped off of his horse and threw an arm around the Greek.

"Yes, yes very good, you can stop talking now."

"Oh, right sir."

As the crowds had begun to disperse, and the two other horsemen had left taking Gisco's horse but leaving the man with us, Gisco called us over to the bank of the river where he was _looking at his reflection._

"When are you planning on leaving"? He asked Malcolm before turning around to face the Greek.

"I guess I figured I would leave first thing in the morning, I should probably call my father and ask for a ride though, it was an adventure coming here and I don't really want to have to go through that again. I mean if that's alright with you, me staying the night here that is. He added quickly.

Gisco smiled, "I think I can do you one better, my friend Erik van Assendelft has just returned from Maryland, he should be able to get you back to camp Half-Blood tomorrow

I saw Malcolm hesitate,

"Oh come on, he's a well respected man, and a demigod, vulnerable to your celestial bronze weaponry." Gisco said urging him.

"I'll think on it. Malcolm responded after a while, just point me in the direction of the guests quarters if you don't mind."

"Guest quarters"? Gisco asked feigning surprise "No, no, no, you're one of us now, you'll sleep in the Astarte Cabin.

"Oh ," Malcolm said breathing deeply and looking down.

"Don't worry I've been told there's a side open in her war side,"

"It's not, it's nothing thank you though."

"As we turned around Gisco called us back again, "Malcolm, do know what scrying is"?

"Uh , yeah he said turning around "it's kind of like an Iris message but with some sort of oil basin."

"True, it is a form of communication but it doesn't have to be oil, that's just Egyptian propaganda." Gisco said.

Gisco then proceed to prick his forefinger with a dagger as it turned to a pool of water on a shorerock, "it does have to be still though, it won't work in say, a river." he motioned over his shoulder.

"All you need in order to talk to anyone you want, within reason of course, is a still source of water, an environment free of mortals, that's a given," he said looking around at both of us, "and a charm, one like the ones either Blackadder or I have." Gisco said pulling out his necklace. "Of course if you're especially talented in magic arts, like I am you don't need the charm at all. "As you are a Greek I can trust I would like to give you a title over here how does Greek diplomat sound"? He asked.

"You can take you time thinking about that, I'll give you a parting gift and with that he pulled out a coin like mine and Gisco's except this one had an owl on it. Now go find your cabins, I've already supplied you with complementary mattress, you've both had a long day.

With that we parted ways before Malcolm called back, "Wait, I can call anybody"?

I couldn't see Gisco's face but I was almost certain he was smiling.

 **No animals were harmed in the production of this.**


	11. Seperate paths

The next morning I woke up early to see Malcolm off, he had contacted Chiron through scrying and had asked to be picked up and taken to camp Half-Blood. Chiron had of course sent Argus in one of the Delphi Strawberry Service truck to take Malcolm back to the Greek camp, I stayed in the parking lot until the truck had left from sight taking the only person who could remind me of my old life with. I was about to go back up into the tower when a face I recognized waved me over from an old café.

"Nicholas," Bethóc said as I crossed the street and sat down across from her, "I heard about what happened, nice." She said as she sipped some of her drink.

"Uh, thanks, but I really didn't do much, I just sort of sat on my horse and observed what was happening."

Bethóc frowned and began to slowly stir her drink, "don't beat yourself up, in a perfect situation that one scenario is impossible for the team that doesn't have the cavalry to win, Gisco was just impressed you were able to convince the rest of the officers to go along with your plan, and for what it's worth," she added looking around "when he said if it weren't for that Greek you would have won, he wasn't kidding." she said pushing her scone in front of me, "he was the only one to catch the movement in the forests undergrowth."

"Thanks for that and this I guess, wait a moment were you at the battle? You seem to know a lot about it but I didn't see you anyway after the outcome had been read." I said taking a bite from the scone.

"No," she responded almost straight away, "I heard it from Gisco late last night after you and Malcolm had left to go get some sleep."

"Wait, you were there, why didn't you say something"? I asked setting the scone down.

"You were already in the middle of your conversation, it seemed rude to interrupt you three, I just waited until you two had left.

"Oh." I said.

"Right there's another reason I wanted to talk with follow me she said throwing her cardboard cup away. "Come on." she said leading me back to the John Hancock's staff elevator.

As the elevator rose higher and higher away from the mortal levels of the building I noticed that some of the buttons on what I thought was a trench coat, morphed into multiple 30 inch Bowie knives. "Going hunting" I asked, my voice giving way.

she said smiling pulling out a knife "Pure Damascus steel." she said as she ran a finger along the blade. "Forging anything out of it is a lost art, sometime in the seventeen seventies most people forgot how to make it."

"Oh."

"Enough about that though, there is another reason why Gisco asked me to get you. You me and the princes, are going on a little excursion he wants Severa to get some real life experience and you to see the world through a Carthaginian view." Bethóc said as the elevator stopped and its doors opened.

Standing outside, as if waiting for us was the princess already up and dressed in her combat gear, all save her helmet.

"Great, we're all here." Bethóc said smiling, "to the temple of Tanit."

Walking down the main road I thought that I had seen it all, small Mediterranean little cafes, and restaurants, statues to some famous Carthaginians wherever appropriate, including a couple to Nikola Tesla's, one near a craftsman and the other surrounded by a bunch of statues of pigeons, a blacksmith advertising his wares in a small stall both, and what seemed to be a small farmer's market, selling everything from wheat and loaves of bread to freshly caught fish.

"Hopefully from the magical river running down the side of the magical mountain and not lake Michigan." I thought to myself.

Continuing on farther away from the elevator both and closer to the base of the mountain we approached the more militarized portion of the city, the stables off to the left and a fletcher on our right.

"What's that"? I asked as I noticed a giant crossbow looking contraption leaned up against one of the fletchers walls.

"That's a scorpion, we sometimes put them on the battlefield when training our soldiers in precision. We have a couple mounted in key locations in case of a monster or demigod invasion." Bethóc said.

"Demigod, invasion. I've heard Artemis talk about why the Greek and Romans find the Carthaginians dangerous but I want to know how is that even possible? If what she said was true wouldn't their sons and daughters make about the same amount of mistakes, especially the Romans, being way more militarized and disciplined. You would think they would be the ones who start all the wars that give the Carthaginians a bad name." I responded as we passed a barracks, a building Thomas told me was for the training of part time soldiers, sword fodder, he called them.

Bethóc looked away from me, "True, the romans _have_ been blamed, but to a lesser degree. Some of the world's greatest generals in all wars have been descended from the Roman gods, so they're both looked down upon and celebrated by mortals and demigods alike, descendants of Carthaginians were more likely to become politicians, and the people who started the wars in the first place. Napoleon, was a son of Astarte, ever since then all sons and daughters of her understand French, the language of blood and war."

"Isn't french supposed to be the language of romance though"? I asked.

"It was, it was indeed, until the rise of the French republic, and the second Hannibal."

"By that you mean Napoleon, correct"?

Bethóc nodded "Revolutionary France was not a time and place any sane person would go back to, the American revolution, fought between the Greeks and Romans, compared to the french Revolution fought between the Carthaginians and Romans was a backyard brawl. Napoleon and all of the leaders of The Reign of Terror were Carthaginian."

By this time all three of us had begun ascending the mountain, at the very top of it stood a pure marble mausoleum like structure. On either side of the buildings entrance stood rows of statues that depicted the different gods and goddesses.

A little below the main building stood two smaller structures each in the shape of Greek temples. Solid marble columns holding up their roofs,

As we headed off towards the one on the right I noticed subtle differences between them, the one we were headed toward had the hide of an ox draped over the top. As our group of three entered the temple a soft but stern voice echoed through the halls.

"Now, let us get down to business."

 **Sorry for the short chapter, but this helps to set up** **the story and the future narrators, this is not the end of Malcolm as I'll write events at camp half-blood through his eyes, and the thoughts of Hera/Juno as her personality depicted in the Aeneid as outright hatred towards Aeneas and his descendants, the Romans.**


	12. Hera

**This chapter is really short and only serves as a way to move the plot along ad introduce Aeneid Hera. I own nothing.**

The wife of Zeus was torn. Her favorite city was being rebuilt, her favored culture was being restored, and one of her personalities, that had been locked away for over two thousand years, had began to resurface.

She knew she could always go to Aesculapius to help sort this problem out, as he had a third personality, a Carthaginian, which was less inclined to help people out of sheer goodwill, but would always nether less listen.

Hera tried to remain her collected prim and proper Roman self, but as her old memories came flooding back to her she found it harder and harder to keep a cool head.

"Troy, damn them." she thought. She remembered being told that _her_ city would be destroyed by that little Latin upstart. If only the son of Aphrodite had stayed behind with her beloved Dido, then maybe none of this would have happened, but no, Mercury and her own husband had sent Aeneas on his merry way without looking back.

She had tried to destroy Aeneas's fleet but Neptune had the seas calmed sparing Aeneas and seven of his ships.

"Forget about all of that." The queen of the gods told herself flickering between her late Greek self and Roman. She was a proud Roman goddess, had even influenced the barbaric warlord Hannibal Barca from destroying one of her temples by disguising herself as one of his own goddesses.

Hera remembered the last time she felt like all three of her personalities were at war with each other was on the twenty first of January 1793, the day the reign of terror begun and the streets of Paris had ran red with blood.

Something big was coming.

And she wouldn't let the fates steel it from her this time.

 **The next chapter will be longer, and in Malcolm's point of view**


	13. In which I learn how much danger I'm in

**I own nothing, sorry for the late update, I'm still trying to fid a Beta reader.**

The ride back to camp Half-blood was uneventful. Argus remained silent, as usual while I stared aimlessly out of the right side window. My thoughts kept drifting back to the last words Nicholas Blackadder told me earlier that morning after breakfast, "Keep an eye on Luke," he said pulling me aside as the van drove up, "I don't know what, but something is off with the guy."

I at first didn't know what to think, sure Luke was one of the oldest and most experienced campers, he was a source of information and assurance when I first arrived at camp Half-blood three years ago.

But after Nick had told me what he did I started to look back upon Luke's actions and personality since I had first arrived, of course like all Hermes children Luke would sneak out of camp a few times and travel to convenience stores for drinks and other luxurious items.

After my second year, the year Luke was offered his quest, I noticed that his late night journeys increased in both in number and time it took for him to return. I originally paid it no mind as I attributed it to the increase in nighttime security that was installed after his quest turned to be a failure, but after looking back on it I should have noticed something before Nick had told me.

Thirteen hours and a couple rest stops latter Argus finally pulled up to the camp somewhere around one in the morning, needless to say I didn't get a big reception. Chiron however had _galloped_ over to me as soon as I closed the van's door.

"Malcolm my boy." the centaur said looking me up and down, probably making sure I still had all of my limbs attached, "I take it the delivery was successful."

"Yeah."

"I apologize at the lack of festivities to celebrate your return but well." Chiron said with a twinkle in his eyes, "we can't really let anyone else know what was going on, can we"?

"I thought I just delivered him to his ill grandma." I responded feigning innocence.

"Of course." Chiron nodded, and now I believe it is time for both of us to turn in for the night," Chiron said already heading back toward the big house "I'll have Annabeth catch you up to what happened while you were away after breakfast tomorrow. Hopefully her completed quest high will have worn off by then."

I stifled a laugh, I had completely forgotten about the " _legit_ " quest that had been issued. Knowing my sister though she'd want to go on another one soon enough.

"How did that one end up going"? I asked catching up with the centaur "did everyone survive"?

Chiron looked back at me and smiled I think we gave him enough training fighting monsters at camp, applying his knowledge to the outside world was the hard part.

By this time we had reached the big house Chiron had opened the door and I had begun to make my way to Athena's cabin before calling back, "It wasn't the monsters I was worried about, it was sending a son of poseidon with a daughter of Athena."

"They worked together well, like the chariot," Chiron said popping his out from the doorway, "and also like how you worked together with that that priestess of Astarte the other day." Chiron said before he retreated back into the big house away from view, and left me wondering how he had heard about that.

I entered my old home away from homes, everyone was already asleep so I slipped silently to my bunk. After I had gotten ready for bed I hung up my necklace on a key holder that I had started bringing my second year. As I sat down on my bed I noticed that I still had something in my pocket, I pulled out the amulet that Gisco had given me. I laid back and studied it, on one side it was a depiction of an owl a common image depicting the likeness of Athena, and the other side had a dove engraved into it. I smiled thinking back to the Astarte cabin and hung the amulet up on top of my necklace, the owl facing out so I wouldn't have to explain why I had a child of Aphrodite's necklace, or something else like that. Too many A's.

"Goodnight dear brothers and sisters." I said to myself before laid down on my bunk and slipped out of consciousness."

I was woken up by the breakfast horn blasting through the valley, "Blast," I mumbled siting up straight, nearly avoiding hitting my head on the upper bunk, "how could I have slept for so long"? I asked myself noticing the rest of the cabin must have already been assembled down at the pavilion.

I quickly threw on a pair of jeans and a camp t-shirt and sprinted to the dining pavilion, everyone had already taken their seat and started eating, I sat down on an outer side of Athena's table hoping no one noticed, I was.

"Look who's finally up."

"That's it," I responded to Annabeth, "No welcome back or anything just straight to looking down on me again."

"I…" Annabeth's face turned red, "look Malcolm, I respect your knowledge but…"

"I'm sorry." I interrupted when I realized that the rest of the table had taken an interest in our conversation, "I acknowledge you authority and right to lead, just don't forget you have some of the wisest advisors of any of the cabins, now if you would mind passing the hash browns."

Annabeth smiled for a bit and complied with my request. "Just don't drop them again,."

"That was one time when… thanks." I collected myself. "anyway , what was it finally like to leave camp"?

The question seemed to catch her off guard as she fidgeted with her fork. "It was, I mean, it felt, I was, "

I decided to drop the subject and instead inquire into daily sword training.

"Do you know which cabin were with for fencing"? I asked her.

"Aphrodite." She said turning her attention back to breakfast.

I frowned, I was hoping at least for the Ares cabin, I was so out of practice it would be nice for an enemy that I had a strategy for, now I would either be paired with someone I had no idea how to react to or the Aphrodite cabin would all go aside gossiping about who knows what, leaving the Athena cabin practice by themselves.

And that's exactly what happened, after lunch all of the Aphrodite siblings had left besides Silena who tried to fight Annabeth, whose own actions were choppy being unused to fighting with a sword, and three other Aphrodite daughters who had all huddled in a corner refusing to train.

I was paired with another son of Athena who also seemed out of practice, as apparently javelins were more his style, that left the two of us circling around each other like some sort of weird catholic school dance.

Whenever one of us did strike the other one would bring up their sword to block or sidestep, eventually Annabeth called a break allowing us to grab some water.

"You would think that those three would have left by now, instead they're just standing around in the corner." my partner said filling a Styrofoam cup up.

The group of three Aphrodite siblings were still there, each wearing dresses, I found that odd, even the other siblings were wearing more suitable clothing.

"I don't know," I said tapping my swords hilt, that's when I noticed one of them, I think her name was Drew something around my age, kept her hand securely on her shoulder revealing a triangle shaped bit of cloth.

I narrowed my eyes remembering the more feminine occupants of the Astarte cabin back at New Hippone would carry stilettos concealed that would create problems like that wherever they would go. I shook my head, I was back at Camp Half Blood, it was probably just a wardrobe malfunction.

After the break was over my partner and I started our dance again waiting for the other to make the first move. A little bit later I headed over towards the archery range, not being a son of Apollo I could have been better but I did tend to stand out above the rest of the Athena cabin. I suppose having one of the weakest cases of ADHD at camp helps with archery and other activities that require focus, including sculpture.

Getting back into routine schedule almost made me completely forget about the incident I had earlier that summer, even the necklace didn't weigh much on my mind as I had started thinking about it as just another bead on my Camp Halfblood necklace, until the fourth.

I had gotten over the fact that my half sister had formed a friendship with one of our mothers enemies children, at least he wasn't an Ares camper, and was about to head to the fireworks myself when I yelped in pain.

"Everything all right"? Castor, asked looking up from as he finished cleaning up the cards from our daily blackjack competition.

"yeah," I said grabbing my necklace that I somehow been heated up, as my skin felt it had been blistered, "Go on, I've got the rest."

Castor tossed the card box up in the air catching it as it fell back down "Are you sure, I know how much you like time to yourself before big social events"?

I laughed, "I'm not big on the social event itself, I think I'll just go to the arena and work out the kinks in my sword arm."

Castor frowned for a second but perked back up "all right, I'll go find my brother, but tomorrow same time and place"?

I stifled a chuckle, "The camp isn't as large as you make it to be but yeah sure, I'll be here." I responded before he left calling for Pollux.

As soon as he let I flung my necklace to the ground. As soon as it was on the grass smoke started to billow as the grass burned, franticly trying to avoid a forest fire I grabbed it by the string and rushed to the canoe lake throwing the smoldering medallion into the water.

I stood there catching my breath for about half a minute before I heard Gisco's voice come from the lake.

"Finally."

I spun around and realized that holographic image of the High Priest of Tanit was projected right where the emulate had sunken.

"Do you know how much energy it takes to channel a conversation through to you for over an hour"? The image of Gisco was dressed in an Australian duster jacket and a fedora and mud was splattered across it as if he just came back from a mud Jackson Pollock convention.

"I might have an idea." I responded clutching the area that the medallion had been in contact my skin.

"Never mind that." he said brushing off mud from his face, "What I'm more concerned about is this whole Luke fiasco."

"Wait you know Luke"? I asked

Gisco sighed, "A few years back Mago, his sister and I ran into him, we took care of him and we parted ways. A least I did." Gisco shrugged, "Mago's has gotten into contact with him again a couple years ago after Luke's quest failed."

"What does all of this have to do with us though"?

"Luke's in a tough spot right now, as I am, he's aiding the plans of the Emperor, but going against the Olympians."

"Wait, what." I interrupted

"I saw his Excellency's plan as foolish and now that he's missing…"

"Everyone there thinks you have something to do with it." I answered for him.

"I sent the princess and your friend on a mission to keep them out of scrutiny for being close to me but if all goes according to the emperor's plan you camp may not survive."

"Wait, what!"

"The emperor has been trying to free all of the Carthaginian gods from their prisons, so far he's gotten them all free but Ba'al Hammon, Tanit, the God and Goddess of Carthage, and El, whos _missing_ shall we say."

"But what does that have to do with camp"?

"I'm getting there, Ba'al Hammon is practically your Satur… I mean Kronos freeing Ba'al Hammon would not only free him but also strengthen Kronos. With Luke under the spell of both Kronos and Mago… I shudder to think what he's capable of." he remained silent for a while, allowing what he said to sink in. "Damn it." he said looking over his shoulder, "I need to speak with Caecilia. "Keep an eye on Luke, I'll send you a little gift for your trouble it should arrive in a few days." he said as the image faded leaving me with more questions than answers.


	14. once more back on the saddle

**sorry for the long update**

"Once again we are back on the saddle." I thought as we rode past the outskirts of Chicago.

After receiving mysterious orders from a disembodied voice in the temple to Tanit to ride out to west in search of the missing emperor, the three of us were sent off with Gisco issuing each of us enough rations for three days, and a hundred mortal dollars each,

A group of the high priests had also formed around us, each of them offered good fortune to us and bowed to Severa. Gisco was the only one who ignored that, he stepped forward and presented her with a small glistening dagger.

"Made out of pure Damascus Steel." Gisco said. He turned to me and gave me a knife.

I stared at it for a while and then looked up at him.

"It will help you channel magic." he said turning to Bethóc as he offered the sage advice of, "don't fail."

And after our send off and a quick stop by the stables for our three horses, Phoenix for me, a larger brown horse for Bethóc named Epona, named after the protector of horses in old Celtic mythology and not Links horse Bethóc assured me, and a healthy looking horse named Bucephalus, named after the Macedonian general Alexander the Great's famous horse of the same name, for Severa.

This ride was different than my previous two times I was on a horse. While I wasn't wearing the armor of an officer this time around, I was fully aware of what was expected of me, to an extant. Also, Bethóc was acting with an increased level of alertness encouraging both Severa and I to do the same, and even though I was annoyed when she first told me to scout ahead for suitable break stops I was relieved when the first one came, as I am now aware of why cowboys always have to stand the way they're depicted in Hollywood.

As I sorted through my saddle bag for lunch provisions I realized that the only food that Gisco had supplied us with was freeze dried food.

"Shoot." I muttered under my breath. Once again having been in boy scouts was a mixed blessing, it taught me how to set up a functional propane backpacking stove, just the type of thing we didn't bring along I found out asking Bethóc if she had brought one.

Of course not, so she told me that there was only one way to get water boiling first use the, that's as far as she got before she realized that we hadn't brought along anything to boil the water in.

Yes our mission had started swimmingly, however the type of swimming you do when you realize that your lifeboat is sinking.

Needless to say instead of our heaviest meal, which would have helped decrease the weight in the saddle bags we had the meal that would taste the best dry, or at least we all had the meal we thought would, and just a free tip of advice, it's not beef stroganoff.

After our embarrassment of a meal, Bethóc unrolled a map from her saddle bag, this map wasn't your everyday road map however, depicted with asterisks small Celtic villages were hidden away from view, Bethóc suggested that while the nearest one was a little out of the way, a little bit farther south than our current destination, we should visit and potentially resupply, aside from the given of locating a small stove and a pot for boiling water.

I wasn't so sure, while I did want to ensure that our next meal was at least warm, I also desperately wanted to get back home and at least talk about this new development in my life with my mother, and the sooner the better.

However my decision was made for me as Severa straightened up at the mention of warm food and made the decision for all of us.

In order to curry favor, or whatever, I seconded the idea soon after agreeing to travel to the Celtic village.

"So Nick, how did you enjoy the mock battle." Severa asked as we were saddling up.

I was surprised and had to grab onto the saddle horn to prevent from falling off. "It definitely required more coherence than capture the flag at Camp halfblood.

Severa tightened her grip on her horse's reins as Bethóc untied our horses one by one.

"Yeah, it seems to fit more a lot more in with what the Romans do in California, at least that's what my mom tells me."

"Your mother was from camp Jupiter"? I asked as the three of us started to resume our travel.

"Yeah, my mother was a friend of the ruler," Severa said closing her eyes, "I think her name was Reyna or something, they grew up together, somewhat, in Puerto Rico."

I thought about that for a minute and for a while the only sound came from the horses.

"Why did she leave." I was at first hesitant to ask the question but I decided that if the princes had answered my original question without snapping back at me and Bethóc hadn't interjected so I decided not to worry.

I was starting to worry that she had taken offense to my question, or at least not have heard but eventually she sighed and answered. "She keeps telling me that she left because she either felt abandoned after Reyna started chasing a guy called Jason or that she left when she met father, both seem equally untrue, while my mother was raised and trained to be a Roman and let attacks on her honor justify emotional actions, she learned, as a member of the Carthaginian royal family , to keep from acting on emotions until all the possibilities have been laid out for her.

I stared, shocked at what explanation a seven year old was able offer.

"Or at least Gisco says so." She continued on as I breathed a sigh of relief.


	15. New Rome

All was going well, we had just made it into northern Colorado stopping periodically to let the horses rest and further discuss our plan, Tanit had told us to travel San Francisco, the base of the operations of Romans, Camp Jupiter, but i couldn't help but feel that this would be useless, if the emperor was inside of Camp Jupiter I doubted that the three of us could somehow just waltz on in and ask for him. Bethóc had reassured us that getting in the camp would be the easy part it would be retrieving the emperor and exiting that would be the challenging part.

As we just made it into the foothills with ranches littering the terrain Bethóc held out her hand to signify to us to stop.

"What's the matter." I asked, my voice quivering.

"Sybaris lived in a location similar to this. Bethóc said as she unslung her bow and scanned the mountainous distance. "Severa," she said not turning to face the girl, "can you…

Before she could finish a dracaena had already partly jumped partly slithered down from a cave and was now directly in our path as Bethóc aimed her shot Severa pulled out her dagger and I did what any hero would do in such a situation let the reins go slack in my hands. Severa had already put some more distance between herself and the snake lady while Bethóc was still waiting to see if the monster had noticed us before she let loose.

As I got a hold of myself and nudged my horse farther away from the demon its head snapped in our direction and lunged toward me with a seven foot pole.

Luckily my horse managed to avoid getting hit, unfortunately the dracaena was able to knock me off of Phoenix who immediately sprinted to safety. As I sprang to my feet I was able to dodge a downward strike from the wooden pole as the dracaena must have thought I had already been killed by the fall. Utilizing this opportunity I reached for my dagger only to be met with an empty slot on my belt. I cursed, the knife must have fallen when I was knocked off of Phoenix.

Contemplating this was probably not the best move on my part just as the pole knock me off my feet I heard Bethóc yelling "Get out of my shot Nick!"

The dracaena had me pinned down and the last sight I would see was going to be the inside of its mouth i thought as closed my eyes. A few seconds later I felt two sharp jabs one on the side of my neck and the other just below my rib cage and then a weight on top of me.

I waited a few more seconds for the death blow but none came and as I opened my eyes I saw that the dracaena had fallen on top of me, an arrow was sticking out of its back and if I had to guess part of it was also inside of me.

Both Bethóc and Severa came running over to me, Bethóc cut the part of the arrow that had gone clean through the dracaena off which allowed her to pull the body off of me without having to worry about blood loss on my part. As I still felt some burning on the side of my neck where the second wound had been inflicted I moved my hand to massage my neck when Bethóc stopped me.

Don't touch it, for some reason the poison hasn't moved yet, I don't want you to somehow influence it to start.

"My neck is starting to heat up." I croaked.

"Yeah well it's better than the alternative." Bethóc said as she tore off a piece of her sleeve and used it to rinse my wound.

"The danger is past," she said siting back up a few minutes later, "the only problem now is the arrow wound, that ones I guess is my fault." she said. "At least it didn't go into bone, just the intestine."

Bethóc then proceed to stick her index finger in my wound as she guided the arrow out and quickly applied the same cloth to my arrow wound.

We spent a good amount of time there allowing my wounds to close eventually I was able to ride again and we headed out, Bethóc advised that we went to see a rancher for future medical aid and that's how we found ourselves in a poor shepherd's cottage who had been plagued by a strange demon who kept eating his sheep. After proving that we did indeed deal with his problem the shepherd gave us an old beaten up van and he would care for our horses until we returned, we accepted his offer and after Severa put a protective spell on the horses hoped in the van and continued on our trek to California.

Eventually we had gotten to the entrance of Camp Jupiter, we had parked the van and walked near the entrance when the guard was changing Bethóc had correctly determined the time and we slipped in with no one noticing.

Some time after, we were able to enter the center of new Rome, while some Lares noticed us passing none of them did anything, the rest of the citizens were to busy going on with their lives to notice us. We quietly made our way into a two story tall marble columned building with a purple banner fluttering across the front of it. When we entered my eyes were immediately drawn to the staircase with an Iron bar gate. Bethóc motioned for Severa to go towards it as she headed towards the entrance.

I noticed Severa looking around the room as her eyes fell on a statue of a copper dog she silently moved over to it, whispered a prayer a touched the dog with her daggers blade. In the next seconds two things happened that I was not expecting, and from the looks of it neither did Severa. The dog tried to sit up and yawn and it disappeared in a flash of blinding light. Severa looked around herself as if it had unnerved her and then she composed herself and laid the dagger's blade against the Iron bars which immediately went aside. Bethóc smiled and nodded approvingly as she ushered us down the stairs.


	16. Mt Othrys

I don't know if walking down the stairs was a harrowing experience for everyone or just me, as I had to keep myself focused on the staircase and not the pain from the arrow wound as pain surged through my side every time I took a step down. Trying frantically to keep my mind off of the pain I let my gaze wander the stairwell, as we got halfway down the light from the entrance stopped and we continued in pitch darkness grasping at the handrail to keep from running into each other.

I know that the brain is supposed to power the senses so that if you lack one sense you others strengthen, but loosing my eyesight did not improve my hearing enough to the point that I could map my surroundings through echolocation, instead as soon as we got off of the staircase I ran straight into a wall.

"Ow!" my hand immediately left my side to message my nose forgetting about what I ran into scraping my hand on some sort of metal structure.

"Gah." I said thrusting my hand into my right pocket accidentally pushing the bandages that were covering my side wound off.

"Blimey I shouted as I crashed down on the solid rock floor.

"Nick are you alright"? Bethóc's concerned voice rung out from somewhere in front of me.

"I think I just reopened my side wound." I said as felt fresh blood oozing out from the puncture wound.

"Damn, that's going to take some attention to." Bethóc said in a hushed tone. "Severa do you think you could conjure up a bit of fire"?

"Yeah, hold on." the princess said, she seemed hesitant at first but then her voice became more forceful. "Is there anything we could use as a torch here though."

"Try the thing I bumped into, there has to be a reason for a giant metal object to be on a wall." I suggested.

After a little bit of silence a mumbling sound that I suspected was a prayer and a little yelp an orange glow appeared a few centimeters above Severa's fingers blurred to life. She quickly reached out and the fire orb followed as she lit what was a torch on the wall. As soon as it was lit she quickly withdrew her hand and shook it extinguishing the flame.

The new light allowed me to see a small streak of red was left on the prince's hand, it wasn't the color of the flames but a deeper red, almost blood like.

"What the…" I blurted out as Bethóc got down to reapply the bandages, "did the fire cut you"? I asked stupidly, I mean my entire self was probably covered in blood and I was concerned about a little scratch that a seven year old got?

"That's how divine magic works," Bethóc said focusing mainly on my wound, " in order to tap into magical power unattainable by your biological self you need to give a sacrifice up to one of the gods, and if they accept the offering you're able to harness some of the gods power for a short time, however only experienced priests are authorized to use it like Severa here and Gisco."

"I'm guessing the emperor is also allowed." I asked trying to keep my mind off of the pain by engaging in polite small talk.

"Actually he isn't, while the emperor has almost complete control over the military and government, only high priests and priestesses have access to the magic, with Gisco being the priest of Tanit and Severa his apprentice."

"I thought Severa was a priest of Astarte,"? I asked clenching my fists to block out the piercing sensation in my side.

"I am, but the priest of Tanit is just a title for the chief priest," Severa said before she held her chin like she was thinking about something, "which I guess can get a little confusing considering that Gisco is actually a priest of Tanit."

After that awe inspiring comment and Bethóc having finished replying my bandages we again were on our way, with Bethóc leading with the torch that she had cut loose with her dagger, and me hobbling along with her bow to help me from falling down.

With the walls illuminated the one thing I could say for the Romans was that they sure knew how to build a dungeon. While most of the cells looked like they hadn't been used in a millennia there was one that looked like someone had been trapped in it relatively recently. Bethóc held the torch up in order to light up the cell, there was still a bowl full of, something, porridge or stew, whatever it was I was sure glad it was on the other side of the gate.

As we headed further down the corridor the less optimistic we were that the emperor would be here, Bethóc had whispered to me that she had a sinking suspicion that the reason the earlier cell looked used was that it was used for temporarily holding before an execution.

I grimaced, the thought didn't do much to cheer me up, but kept quiet to avoid upsetting the girl walking alongside us.

Eventually the three of us made it to the end of the corridor, we were about to head back up towards the entrance when noticed a small wooden door only about four feet tall. Bethóc reached for the handle and gently pushed the door open.

"I guess when you're underground in a prion complex people don't seem to care that much about security." Bethóc whispered. She crouched down and started to make her way through the doorway, Severa went second and had an easier time, I had to set the bow down and practically drag myself through the tunnel.

Luckily the tunnel was only about two feet long before giving way to a humongous cavern system.

"Who knew their was a this just underneath the surface of San Francisco." Severa wondered out loud.

I would have responded but it took all my energy from collapsing so I didn't.

After I was given a minute to rest up we started to walk through the cavern, eventually we were able to see light from a little above us and that was when we started on our incline.

I won't say that it was miserable, however I will say that I would have enjoyed it more had I not been in constant pain.

We're almost there." Bethóc said as she extinguished the torch.

And when we got out of the cavern what I saw blew my mind, we were inside of a giant black marble fortress, with ramparts that made them look like their were a part of the walls of Byzantium, with towers so tall that they reached into the clouds obscuring the view of the rest. Looking down was also a shock, the mist around the base of the fortress was so thick here it seemed to be snow and I could only guess what the mortals down below saw.

As we continued our walk through the fortress we came to one of the walls overlooking the rest of the mountain and what we saw was as confusing and spectacular as the fortress, a giant of a man kneeling down with his hands over his head, his face was contorted into some sort of grimace from intense pain or discomfort.

"Atlas." I heard Bethóc whisper.

After that the three of us were silent terrified that somehow he could still see or detect us from there and smite us all without even letting go of the sky, but what we should have been more concerned about were the footsteps coming from behind us.

"Intruders lay down your arms and come peacefully.", apparently all of our sneaking and peeping had gathered quite the attention as four heavily armored soldiers with golden helmets, shields that were hanging over their left shoulders and purple capes were standing behind us each with a nineteen foot pike aimed at our chests, surrounded us.

 **Sorry for the whining tendency anyone feels coming from Nick, I'm just trying to make this as accurate as I can, and as I researched if someone had an arrow hit them it would take them at least two full weeks to recover.**


	17. The Lost Emperor

All three of us gently placed our weapons down on the ground and rose again our hands raising above our heads.

I scanned the soldiers even if we could put the long pikes to a disadvantage by slipping in between the long shafts each our captors were carrying back up weapons that I immediately recognized from my short time at camp half-blood, a xiphos, a short double edged Greek short sword, known for being the backup weapon of Greek phalanxes, and we had nothing, against those odds I was sure even Bethóc wouldn't stand a chance.

As the soldiers called for more guards I noticed something, the soldiers who were coming this time were equipped in the standard Carthaginian fashion, round shield with either a falcata or spear and the symbol on the shield was a that of a rams head, the symbol of Ba'al Hammon, not the usual symbol of a dove or a lion for Astarte or Tanit's sign for Tanit.

As we were ushered deeper inside of the fortress I looked at Bethóc she knew more of this than I did why would we be treated hostile by our own people.

However Bethóc's stoic face revealed nothing, even Severa's usually confident self kind of wavered.

I secretly hoped that these were Greeks, but no Greeks back at Camp Half-blood looked this professional, so maybe they were Roman, I hoped that they were anything but Carthaginian, I did not want to be in the middle of a civil war or something.

As we were escorted through the fortress further I noticed Greek monsters and demigods in some open courtyards, all busy hacking apart straw training dummies. A couple other open courtyards were built around the fortress that looked like they were used for jousting tournaments.

Eventually we had arrived at the base of one of the towers, the four pike men who had originally captured us nodded to the sword and spear men and left, leaving us to be pushed up the spiraling staircase up the tower.

I looked at our little group, Bethóc kept shifting her head, maybe trying to figure out how to escape, or more likely trying to get some sense of bearing.

Severa on the other hand was stealing at her feet, I didn't really blame her, the inside of the tower wasn't that interesting, just black rock and a metal staircase.

The arrow wound still throbbed up, but I didn't want to complain and get another injury to ad to the list so I kept my mouth shut.

A few minutes later, we found ourselves on the outside of a dark wooden door, my knowledge of wood was not the greatest, but I assumed it was oak from the way it reacted, or the lack of a reaction when one of our guards slammed the but of his spear into it.

I wasn't sure if muffling voices was a property of oak doors but I did realize it was heavy.

"Come in!" The voice from the other side of the door came again, this time clearer.

One of the guards pushed his way passed us and unlocked the door then he stepped aside and pushed us in.

The room was a cozy little office space, I was surprised by the size, and also by the amount of paper covering the most of it. It seemed like a really nerdy kids freshman dorm, to complete the analogy even further in the right hand corner was a desk where a blond haired man was siting.

Then he looked up from his desk and told the guards that they were dismissed, with that they all saluted and filed back down the stairs.

After staring at us for a minute the man rose from his seat brushed pat the three of us and closed the door.

As he made his way back to his desk his eyes rested on each of us and raised an eyebrow when he noticed Severa.

"I here you wondered in from New Rome, dangerous place for a Carthaginian." The man said as he took his seat. "If you can tell me what you were doing I'll gladly assist you however I can, however if you can't, well let's just say those Greek monsters can't feed themselves, don't want our own citizens to turn coat."

I looked Bethóc in the eye and she turned to respond. "Sir we have been assigned by Gisco Anderson to seek out the emperor."

"The emperor" the man tilted his head, "yeah he's here."

"Wait, what!" Severa yelled "he was here the entire time and you never bothered to tell anyone!"

"His apologies of course to you my dear, he was held for a bit longer than he anticipated in the underworld to secure veterans, you know how it is." We all stared at him, we had been sent on a mission just because the person we were looking for didn't call home. "It is strange though, I saw him contacting someone regularly, ah well Iris messages can be unpredictable."

"So is father here now." Severa asked.

"I believe so." Was the man's response "if you want to catch up with him I believe he was just about to go talk with Atlas."

"Severa almost bolted out the door but Bethóc halted her holding out her arm, "may we"? She asked the man.

"Of course," he said returning his full attention back to his papers.

"Come on," Severa almost pleaded as we headed back down the staircase to where we first encountered the guards.

"It looks like we're getting ready for war," I said as we past by some of the courtyards.

"Do you guys know anything about this"? I asked Bethóc and Severa."

"No." They both responded in unison, "though this area could be used to spy on the Romans I suppose."

As we found ourselves back where we had been captured the three of us quickly gathered our equipment where he had left it.

"Your lucky no one pilfered those while you were away." A voice from behind us said.

"Father!" Severa screamed and ran towards the man, the man whom was the same as the man whom I saw Luke talking to via Iris messaging during my brief stay at camp half-blood.


	18. The End?

Mago, the emperor, and Severa's father was an intimidating figure, short black hair, a missing eye and the one eye he did have seemed to be permanently narrowed and a bandana wrapped around his head covering where his right eye would have been.

"So Bethóc, I see that you've been well." Mago said letting go of his daughter.

"Your majesty. Bethóc nodded.

"And a child of Eshmun, he said turning his one eyed gaze towards me, "I heard what you did back at camp, not how I would have handled it but impressive nonetheless, and your friend Malcolm was it, Gisco seemed to find him promising.

"What, how could you have heard all of this"? Bethóc questioned, with something that almost looked like fear in her eyes.

"I had a few of my officers inform me on what was going on back at camp, and don't worry about your horses, I've already had my lieutenants bring them back to New Hippone."

We eventually all found ourselves on a plane that flew under Ba'al Hadad airlines, I assumed that was a god of the sky or something, that flew us back to New Hippon. And I am sorry about rushing things but the Romans are planning on crucifying me shortly so… damn, spoiler warning. Anyway, the pomp that we received, I guess it was more for Severa and the emperor but whatever, was phenomenal, going to the banquet in his honor was something, I had been given a place at one of the head tables as the emperor Mago wanted to congratulate me for something or other.

As I looked around the table I noticed that I was the only one under eighteen, the oldest looking one there was a captain of the guard who had just graduated High School. Himilco, I think his name was. Just as I was about to start eating my meal, a couscous salad with chicken, The Emperor called me forward, I nervously approached his table as he began a speech that was basically all this young man did a great dead and his actions will be forever, maybe not forever but they will be remembered, for reminding me what date it was." I seriously hoped he was either joking, I didn't want to be under the rule of someone who had to be reminded what day it was, or not joking as I also didn't want to be gutted for _helping_ him. So I sighed in relief when he told me to sit down.

As I rejoined my table my attention turned mainly to the food and I only caught glimpses of the emperor's speech, like, "I trust that you have all…", "Gisco has been a most able…", "also I recommend twenty to thirty new…", and "I appoint Nicholas Blackadder as the new Royal scribe." at that last one I almost choked on Chicken, but I managed to stand up and ask a really dumb question, what does that mean"?

 **Sorry for the awful and short chapter, but this will help to transfer the storyline to my next, the** _ **Fall of the west.**_ **This will be AU, as I bring Greek demigods, Roman's and even some Norse guys into it. I plan on telling it in third person with multiple perspectives but the story itself will be written by Nick, who will only be a minor character, like most of my other OCs,**


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